If you are already in Bucharest, you can’t leave Romania before you visit the most famous landmark: Bran Castle, where the Dracula story started. It is a must-see castle with numerous stairs and hidden passages. Let’s dive into why you should visit this well-known monument and focus on the logistics of visiting it. If you’re already excited to book a seat in our Two Castles in One Day Tour.
Besides the marketing that connects the castle to the Dracula novel, there are numerous other reasons to visit the area and the citadel. Sitting atop a cliff surrounded by the old castle grounds and forests, it’s a beautiful sight to take in.
Bran Castle: the obscure myths and the fascinating history
It’s impossible to talk about Bran Castle without mentioning Dracula. The fictional vampire created by the author Bram Stoker in 1897, was inspired by a cruel and bloodthirsty Romanian ruler named Vlad The Impaler. The Dracula’s Castle described in the novel does resemble some parts of Bran Castle, but it’s not an exact match. Still, as history has it, Vlad did briefly live here in the 15th century.
Most people come to the castle lured in by the mystery associated with Dracula and end up getting much more than expected. If you decide to visit – whether it’s on your own or by booking one of the tours to Brasov- you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover an actual historical medieval gem.

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Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania – Facts
The citadel near Brasov is known for many things. Here is a shortlist of the most fascinating facts about the haunted fortress:
1. A drawing that inspired a novel about Bran Dracula’s Castle
Even if we know that Bram Stoker never visited Romania, the description he depicts in the “Dracula” novel sounds like the Transylvanian fortification in Romania. Even the etching in the first edition of the novel is extremely similar.
It is believed that he was inspired from afar by the fortress. There were tourist materials in England promoting visiting Romania, especially this area, at the time. It is also possible he might have used the illustration of Bran Castle from Charles Boner’s book, “Transylvania: Its Product and Its People”, (London: Longmans, 1865) to represent Dracula’s home.
2. The name that inspired the Dracula’s legend
We don’t have any confirmation that the Irish author based the iconic Dracula character on Vlad the Impaler. Just one thing is certain. Count Dracula took his name from Vlad the Impaler. There are many things that the ruler and the fictional character had in common.

They were both:
- Cruel with people that wronged them
- Called bloodthirsty either because they drank the blood, or for killing enemies in a way that drained their blood.
Vlad the Impaler was the ruler of Walachia, the region found in the south of Bran. He inherited the throne from his father Vlad II commonly know as Vlad “Dracul”. In translation “Dracul” means “The devil”, but people called him that cause of the Dragon sign he wore on his clothes.
He was part of the Crusader Order of the Dragon and he wanted everyone to know that. As the dragon is not a common Romanian symbol, the people at the time considered that it represented the devil.
As Vlad the Impaler was his son, once he became part of the Order, the people called him the little devil, which was “Drăculea”. From this name, it’s easy to see how Bram Stoker got the name of the famous fictional character: Count Dracula.

3. Vlad the Impaler’s grandfather owned Bran Castle in Transylvania
Many historians have a problem with Bran Castle being associated with Vlad Tepeș, as there is no proof he lived there. Some believe he was kept there as a prisoner for a short while by the Transilvanian ruler Matei Corvin.
There is however a lot of historical merit for the fact that Mircea the Elder was offered this fortification from 1407 until his death in 1418. The Hungarian king offered the fortress as a place where the ruler of Wallachia and his army can retreat. For many years the Hungarian empire was threatened by the Turkish forces and the border of the Empire was in this area. Offering the Castle was given as an incentive for Mircea the Elder to keep on fighting the Turkish armies.
Mircea the Elder was followed to the throne of Wallachia by his son Vlad the Dragon and then his grandson Vlad the Impaler. But Bran Castle did not remain in the property of the family. The Hungarian king took it back in 1419 while the political climate in Wallachia was unsure.
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4. The Bran Castle is £47million
In 2014, the owners of the fortress wanted to sell it. The price they asked for was £47million. The history and the legends around the landmark bring more than 560,000 visitors every year. Archduke Dominic von Habsburg, a descendant of the Romanian Royal family has taken good care of the castle. Just like his family did before him. The main restoration projects of the main mansion and the added buildings on the lands have all been made under the careful eye of the Royal family.
Queen Marie’s heart is even found in the crypt on the grounds. This is just one reason why the Archduke and his family care about the landmark. They would accept a reasonable offer, but they want to know the plan for the future of Bran Castle alongside it.
5. Archduke Dominic von Habsburg would like it to not be known as “Dracula’s Castle”
One of the owners of the property and the main investor is not that happy about the connection between Transylvania and the original vampire. In a Vanity Fair interview from 2017, he was addressing a rhetorical question: “Why would anyone want to focus on an invention, when it had its own rich history?”
At 81 years now, the archduke has spent his childhood in this residence with his Grandmother Queen Marie. He never associated his former home with dark creatures and spooky stories.
The association between Bran Castle and Count Dracula started getting traction in the 1980s, the last years of communist Romania. Back then the travel agencies started promoting the story over and over again to get more international tourists visiting the location.

6. Queen Marie’s heart is kept to this day at Bran Castle
From 1920 after Queen Marie received the castle, she put in restoration efforts to make it a royal summer residence. It became her home and she personalized it for her needs and tastes. This included making the grounds into an English Park with a tea house and two ponds. She also added an elevator to make her climb to her residence much easier.
After her death in 1938, she left Bran Castle to her daughter Princess Ileana. In 1940, after Romania lost the South Danube territories, Queen Marie’s heart was taken from the Stella Maris Chapel of the Balchik’s palace on the Black Sea.
The Queen’s heart was placed in a silver box inside an ornate box, wrapped in the flags of Romania and Great Britain and placed in a marble sarcophagus. After 1940, the sarcophagus was brought to Bran and is still found in the carved tomb in the mountain, on the north side of the wall.
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7. Bran Dracula’s Castle images
To have an idea of what Bran Castle has to offer, ere is a short gallery of pictures to help you decide on booking one of our tours.








We believe you’ll enjoy all the aspects of this unforgettable destination:
- The architecture
- The incredible views
- The unique furniture
- The secretly haunted staircases
- The medieval feel
All of these aspects will give you a reason to visit Romania again. How to Get to Bran Castle? See here: Dracula’s Castle Bran in Transylvania – Tours, Prices and More!
What is the history of the Bran Dracula’s Castle, Romania
The perched hilltop always offered a great viewpoint, even before Bran Castle was there. It is probably the main reason why in 1211 the Teutonic Knights built the first fortress on the grounds. They had received the lands from King Andrew II of Hungary, so they could defend the Southeastern border of the Transylvania region and the Hungarian empire. From 1226 to 1377, the fortress was abandoned.
At the end of 1377, the Hungarian King Louis I of Anjou granted the people of Brasov, the right to build a castle. He also urged the Saxons of the region to aid in building it. Their influence is seen all over the architecture of the building.
In 1388 Bran fortress was finished, and officially received the name it has today. Besides its importance in defending the border against the Ottoman Empire, it was also a customs point. Most of the goods that were transferred in and out of Transylvania would pass through the area.

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Some other important historical details surrounding the building include:
- Between 1407-1419 Bran Castle was given to Mircea the Elder the ruler of Walachia. To have a northern fortress where they could retreat during the Turkish wars.
- In 1441 Iancu de Hunedoara defeated Turks here.
- Vlad the Impaler became an ally of the region in his first reign. Later on, he entered a conflict with the Saxon community in the area and burned the suburban areas of Brasov.
- In 1651 George II Rackoczi sold the mansion to the people of Brasov.
- In 1920, the Brasov city council decided to give the mansion to Queen Marie.
Throughout the years the building has been affected by its numerous uses. These included military, administration and customs purposes. It even housed foresters, woodsmen and forest inspectors when they came to the area.
The reason the landmark is still open for visitation today is because of the effort put into the restoration. The most important ones were done by the Romanian Royal Family in changing it into one of their residences. An elevator was even included in the well shaft to give easy access to Queen Marie from the park to the building. She was suffering from arthritis which made it difficult for her to walk up the hill.
After Queen Marie died the residence became the property of her daughter, Princess Ileana. In 1956, after the Romanian royal family had to flee the country, the communist regime decided to transform Bran Castle into a museum. Not much money was invested in restoring and upkeeping of the building until 1987.
After many years, in 2009 the building was given back to Princess Ileana legal heirs, namely Archduke Dominic, Archduchess Maria Magdalena, and Archduchess Elisabeth.
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To learn more, come and visit the Bran Dracula’s Castle, Romania
The citadel perched on top of the cliff is a topic of endless conversations and even controversy. From its unclear connection to the monsters, we read about and see in movies, to the important connection to the Romanian royal family. To separate between the truth and the rumors you’ll have to visit Bran Castle for yourself. See more Transylvanian Tours from Bucharest!
There are many more interesting aspects of this popular destination. You can find the complete detailed guide if you click here. It will answer all your inquisitive thoughts about the :
- history of the monument
- the tours offered
- prices and schedules
- close by accommodation and more.
We’d love to share even more alluring Bran Castle’s facts with you. Make sure to book our Two Castles in One Day Tour to get to enjoy Romania beyond the capital. Excited to see you in Bucharest.