Dracula’s legend is one of the most famous symbols of Romania, at least from the point of view of the foreigners that immediately associate Dracula with Romania. The character Dracula appears as interference among the numerous legends to have traveled in time between the Irish Bram Stoker’s novel and real, historic actions of the ruler Vlad Tepes, also surnamed Draculea.

The ruler Vlad Tepes is an iconic image, being the subject of several literary and historic creations. The nickname “Tepes” was attributed to him due to his authoritarian ruling, trying to impose honesty and industry as values of the Romanian people, harshly punishing theft and deceit; those that did not abide by his rules were impelled. Though he was described as a cruel and intolerant man, Vlad Tepes was respected by his subjects for the efficient campaigns he led against the Turks.

Besides the nickname “Tepes”, the ruler is also associated to “Dracula”, an association actually engendered by Vlad Tepes’s father that had the surname of Dracul and from here, a series of derivations such as: Dracea, Dracula, Draculea. On the other side, not even the connection between Vlad Tepes and Bran Castle is not strong enough or sustained, the only connection being that at the end of 1462, Vlad Tepes was taken prisoner by Matei Corvin and locked up for 2 months at Bran Castle.

These aspects led to the confusion between Vlad Tepes and Dracula but remember that they are not one and the same character.

Dracula is a fictitious character, created by Bram Stoker in the novel by the same name, in 1897.

Bram Stoker had the intention to create a character to come from the Irish stories, but in the research period for the novel, he was reached by stories about Transylvania, known as an area in the mountains, remote and full of a gory history, which determined him to change the initial name of the place of action and to set the character’s castle in Transylvania.

In the description of Dracula’s castle, Bram Stoker has as a starting point a presentation of Bran Castle, this being the only castle in Transylvania, the reason for which Dracula was associated to Bran Castle.

Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel is a vampire born from the myth according to which in the villages neighboring the castle there’s this belief in a ghost, people alive at day that suffer from the curse of immortality and at night haunt the villagers since their spirits leave the bodies.

As far as the etymology of the name “Dracula” is concerned, the name of Bram Stoker’s character, there are several speculations. Originally, “Dracula” had nothing scary, but the association with Vlad Tepes, an authoritarian and blood-thirsty despot, as well as the legends in Transylvania about poltergeist and ghosts, led to the creation of the myth Dracula. On the other side, the name of the character is given by a popular Irish designation "droch ola", which means "bad blood".  

So, there is this tendency of creating a connection between the historic character Vlad Tepes and the fictitious Dracula or even of confusion; we must make a clear distinction between the two, between reality and myth.

If you want to discover more about Dracula and Bran Castle, book a Day Trip to Dracula’s Castle.

Dracula’s Legend

Peles Castle is one of the most important historical structures in Romania, having a unique character and due to its historical and artistic value, it is one of the most representative monuments in Europe. Peles Castle is located in Prahova Valley, at Sinaia, 122 km from Bucuresti.

Peles Castle was built starting in 1873 at the initiative of King Carol I, who personally supervised its setting up. For a long time, Peles Castle served King Carol as a summer residence, invested with political, cultural, and symbolic responsibilities.

There is a series of peculiarities about the history of this impressive structure which you are invited to discover below

The cornerstone of Peles Castle was laid in 1875, burring underneath it a few tens of 20 lei in gold pieces, the first Romanian coins with the effigy of Carol I

The plans of the castle were made by the German architect, Johannes Schultz, who won King Carol’s sympathy with his German inspired neo-Renaissance architecture.

The first stage of the building was completed in 1883, requiring funds of approximately 6.5 million lei in gold (approximately 50 million dollars in today’s currency).

At the end of the 19th century, Peles Castle was one of the most modern European royal residences, being equipped with central heating, electricity, and an indoor elevator.

Peles hosted personalities of the time, musicians, writers, kings, queens, the most prominent visit being that of Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, in 1896.

In 1893, at Peles, Carol II was born, the first heir to the throne, born on Romanian soil. In 1921, at Foisor, a smaller building next to Peles, King Mihai I was born, and still, in 1921, Peles hosted the wedding of Princess Ileana, one of Carol II’s sisters, a wedding that gathered many of the personalities of the time, among them, Nicolae Iorga.

Peles Castle was completed in 1914 and had 170 rooms and over 30 bathrooms.

Peles Castle hosted important meetings such as the Crown Councils of 1914 and 1925.

In 1948, Peles was confiscated by the communist regime and in 1953 turned into Museum open to the large public. The most important Halls to visit are the Hall of Honour, the Royal Library, the Music Hall, the Armory, the Theatre Hall, the Concert Hall, the Imperial Apartment etc.

Peles is the second most wanted museum in our country, after Bran Castle, the number of annual visitors being impressive.

If we managed to excite your curiosity and want to visit Peles Castle, don’t hesitate to cast an eye on our site and book a tour.

Discover Peles Castle

Located at 184 km from Bucharest, Brasov is one of the most beautiful cities of Romania to have quantified its history and is worth visiting. Besides the multitude of monuments and tourist objectives, Brasov is also known due to the international festival “The Golden Stag” that goes on almost annually in the city center and hosts famous artists such as: Toto Cutugno, Tom Jones, Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Kyle Minogue, etc.

If you ever come to Brasov, you must not miss the following 10 tourist sites:

The Council Square&nbsp;is located in the city center and offers a splendid view, hosting a multitude of buildings displaying an architecture of Germanic origin. In Council Square, you can dine at one of the many restaurants and luxury coffee houses or you could take part in the artistic and cultural events running there. In Council Square, you can find the Council House, Assumption Church, and the Mureseni Museum.

The Black Church&nbsp;is the symbol of Brasov city and it is located a couple of minute's walk from Council Square. The building of the Black Church lasted almost 100 years, being concluded in 1477 and in 1689 it was partly destroyed by a fire to which it also owes its name. The Black Church hosts the most important collection of Oriental carpets in south-East Europe, most of the carpets coming from the donations made by the visitors. The Black Church is the largest Gothic-style religious building in South-East Europe, to accommodate 5000 people and measures 90 meters in length and 37 meters in height.

The Rope Road is located between Cerbului Street and Poarta Scheii Street and it initially served as a passageway for firefighters. Rope Road is the narrowest street in Brasov and the third narrowest in Europe, with 83 meters in length and only 1.4 meters in width.

Brasov Tampa Ropeway&nbsp;was commissioned in 1971 and makes the connection between the city located at the feet of Tampa and the peak of the massive. The Ropeway runs daily on a total length of 573 meters and one trip lasts less than 3 minutes. From the peak of the massive one can admire the panoramic view of Brasov city and this is also the starting point for mountain hiking.

Johannes Honterus Highschool&nbsp;in Brasov is one of the oldest educational settlements in Romania and operates as Transylvanian Saxon Evangelical gymnasium. The gymnasium was founded by Johannes Honterus and would operate based on a school regulation, having German as a teaching medium.

The Ecaterina Gate is the only monument in Brasov that kept its original aspect to the day and whose name comes from the nunnery located there, on Caterina Street. Initially, the monument had the function of a defensive structure, later on being used as a warehouse. The armoury of Brasov can be seen above the entrance and currently, art and history exhibitions are organized in the Gate Tower.

The Ethnography Museum&nbsp;owns a collection of over 21.000 pieces that preserve the legacy left behind by the rural communities, representing a real treasure for our cultural patrimony. The collection contains elements of the folk dress, post cards in ceramics, decorated eggs, icons painted on glass, glassware dating back from the 17th – 20th centuries. The museum preserves an interactive character with its public and organizes various activities and workshops to which youth are the main participants.

Brasov Citadel&nbsp;is an important tourist site located on the Citadel Hill. Throughout time, the Brasov Citadel had a defensive role, served as prison as well as warehouse, being renovated at around 1981. Currently, within the Brasov Citadel there is a restaurant with a terrace, from where the visitors can admire the entire panoramic view of Brasov.

The White Tower&nbsp;was built for defense and it is part of the fortifications of Brasov and it is the highest in the city, measuring 20 meters. In time, the tower has been submitted to several renovation processes, the most recent being between 2003 - 2005, when it was completely revamped.

The Black Tower&nbsp;is one of the 4 observation towers of Brasov Citadel, being built as an independent fortification. With a height of 11 meters, the tower survived a series of fires generated by lightning, getting thus the name of Black Tower. Currently, the tower is white, since it has been renovated, and it's indoors can be visited, hosting exhibitions of the Brasov County History Museum. The Tower offers delightful views and the opportunity to take exceptional pictures.

If we stirred your curiosity, do not hesitate to cast an eye on our site and select a tour of Brasov.

Discover Brasov

Mogosoaia
 Palace, located approximately 15 km from Bucharest City Centre, is 
built of Brancoveanu architecture (Romanian Renaissance) and combines 
Venetian and Ottoman elements. The Mogosoaia Estate is made up of: the 
palace itself, inner yard, Cuhnia (old kitchen), Gate Tower, Elchingen 
Villa (the old guest house, nowadays restaurant), flower greenhouse, ice
 cellar, and the family vault, as well as Saint George Church, located 
outside the palace walls.

The palace was built by Constantin Brancoveanu, the ruler of 
Wallachia, the building being completed in 1702. The year when the 
construction started is still unknown, yet we know that Brancoveanu 
started buying that area in 1681. The Brancoveanu family-owned Mogosoaia Palace for 119 years, then passed into the 
ownership of Bibescu family after it suffered numerous modifications.

The Palace built by Constantin Brancoveanu is the main building of 
Mogosoaia Estate and it hosts the apartments of the royal family on the 
first level that can be directly accessed from the yard via an outdoor 
staircase. In addition, the Palace's ground floor hosts the chambers for the 
servants, and the basement hosts a cellar with a four-dome ceiling.

The Brancoveanu kitchen (Cuhnia) has four venting towers and is 
located in the inner yard of the palace. The greenhouses of Mogosoaia 
Palace were built after 1890 and presently serve for growing flowers and
 as an art school workshop for children. The ice cellar was used to 
store over summer, the ice brought from Mogosoaia Lake.

The Saint George Church was founded by Constantin Brancoveanu and 
completed in 1688, just shortly before the founder became the ruler of 
Wallachia. The Saint George Church hosts the votive painting 
representing Constantin Brancoveanu and his four sons.

Mogosoaia Palace is the perfect place to spend a peaceful day, away 
from the hustle of Bucharest center. One could quietly stroll in the 
rose, iris, and lily gardens could visit the permanent as well as season
 exhibitions and the Brancoveanu Art Museum, and could conclude the day 
with chosen delicacies and a delicious coffee on the terrace of the 
Mogosoaia Palace restaurant, located in the former guest house. If we 
convinced you and awoke your curiosity for this story-like place, do not
 hesitate to buy a Mogosoaia Palace tour, that also includes the Snagov 
Monastery.

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