Bran Castle, famously known as “Dracula’s Castle,” is perched on the edge of Transylvania near the town of Bran, just a short drive from Brașov, Romania. Despite recent buzz stirred up by the UK tabloid The Telegraph, suggesting that people could buy a stake in the castle, Romanian media has quickly shut down the rumor—it’s simply not true. Bran Castle is not for sale.
Rich in both legend and history, Bran Castle is one of Romania’s most iconic landmarks. Completed in 1388, the fortress was strategically built on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, serving as a key defensive post against invading forces, especially during the Ottoman expansion into Eastern Europe. Its towers, winding staircases, and imposing walls have stood for centuries, silently guarding the region’s borders.
What gives Bran Castle its global fame, however, is its connection to Bram Stoker’s legendary Count Dracula. While there’s no evidence that Vlad the Impaler—Stoker’s inspiration for Dracula—ever lived here, the castle’s dramatic appearance and eerie ambiance match the fictional description so closely that it has become a pop culture icon.
As the official Bran Castle website notes:
“Because Bran Castle is the only castle in all of Transylvania that actually fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle, it is known throughout the world as Dracula’s Castle. Visitors should make the distinction between the historic reality of Bran and the fictional character of Count Dracula. Dracula exists in the imagination.”
Today, the castle is owned by Archduke Dominic and his sisters, Archduchess Maria Magdalena and Archduchess Elisabeth, descendants of Romania’s royal family. After reclaiming it from the Romanian government in 2009 following a lengthy legal process, they transformed Bran Castle into a fascinating museum. Inside, visitors can explore rooms filled with art, antique furniture, and royal relics collected by Queen Marie of Romania, who once used the castle as a royal residence.
Whether you’re drawn by vampire legends or medieval history, a visit to Bran Castle offers a captivating journey into Romania’s past—and its most enduring myth. So, are you brave enough to visit after dark… or do you prefer your castles garlic-free?
For more images and info about the castle visit bran-castle.com
