6 days in search of Count Dracula

Day 1: Bucharest- Targoviste- Bran

The first morning we leave Bucharest, Romania’s capital, and head for Targoviste, an old capital of the Romanian Country, the place where the great voivode Vlad Tepes- Dracula (his official name was Valdislaus I Basarab-Luxemburg) ruled.

After an hour, we arrive at the Princely Court in Targoviste. Here, in the winter of 1436, Vlad II the Devil became ruler of the Romanian Country, and his son, Vlad Tepes- Dracula, followed him.

The first important act of revenge of Vlad Tepes- Dracula was directed towards the noblemen from Targoviste, who were guilty for killing his father and older brother. In the Easter’s Sunday in 1459 he arrested all the noble families who participated at the party he organized. The older ones were impaled, and the other ones were forced to walk on foot on a 100 km road, from the capital to Poenari, where they were forced to build a fortress on the ruins of an old outpost, that had a view of the Arges River. The noblemen who died were replaced, thus the voivode managed to create a new nobility and to obtain a fortress for the emergencies that followed.

After visiting the fortress, we get hungry for sure, so we rest at a table of a restaurant that serves specific local food and we must drink a glass of good wine.

If we finished eating, we travel through the Carpati Mountains toward Transylvania, but here we have an old custom house- the Bran Castle, built in 1377- the alleged residence of prince Vlad Tepes, and later, of queen Maria. As a sign of gratitude for her contribution to the Great Union of the Romanian Countries in 1 December 1918, through their mayor, the citizens of Brasov gave the Bran castle to the royal family.

Between 1920-1930, Bran castle has gone through many architectural modifications, thanks to the royal family’s wish of transforming it into a modern summer residence. We admire the Castle as we drive by and build up the courage to come and visit the next day.

The road has been long and tiresome, we saw the mountains, we got through the old custom house, Bran and we’re so hungry, we could eat a horse. Where else could we quench this hunger, if not at the Wolfs’ Tavern in Bran?!

After a good local plum brandy and a food to match it we try to get some sleep, because the next day we have many interesting things to see, but also many miles to cover.

Day 2: Bran- Sighisoara

After breakfast, we visit the Bran Castle, one of the most important medieval architecture monuments in Romania, with historical, economical and military functions. The Bran Castle is known by tourists all over the world as The Castle of Dracula.

In the fall of 1462, after the army of Hungary’s king, Matei Corvin, captured him near the fortress from Podul Dambovitei, near Rucar, located at approximately 25 km from Bran, Vlad Tepes was taken to Bran Castle and locked there for about two months. From here he was taken and imprisoned at the Fortress of Visegrad (Hungary).

After leaving Bran Castle and driving for two hours, you arrive in Sighisoara, the best kept European city of the XV-th century.

Once there, you have your lunch right in the house where prince Vlad the Devil was born, in November or December 1431. In this restaurant, on a wall, after removing many layers of paint, a portrait of Vlad the Devil was found. Not far from the house is the place where Dracula used to punish the criminals; but we’re not going to visit this place until we eat something.

After seeing how the criminals were executed, we climb through the wooden tunnel in the Sighisoara Fortress. It is mentioned for the first time in the year 1280, under the name of “Castrum Sex”. After we visit the fortress, we head down for a walk, have something else to eat and then go to sleep.

Day 3: Sighisoara- Bistrita – Piatra Fantanele

It’s a long road if you want to go back in time, so right after breakfast we must head for Bistrita.

Once there, we are sure to be hungry and thirsty, but we have a solution, to eat lunch at the Golden Crown Hotel, where not long ago, Romania’s King, Mihai I, also sat. The hotel is unique in Romania and in the world, it is mentioned in the famous novel “Dracula”, by Irishman Bram Stoker, released in the year 1897. This is the hotel where one of the main characters in the novel, lawyer Jonathan Harker, was housed.

The Romanian food and the traditional wine make us sleepy, but we resist the temptation and continue our trip to another special place- The Castle of Dracula in Piatra Fantanele.

So we leave Bistrita along the river, until we reach the Tihuta Defile, in Bargaului Mountains. The place is an interesting touristic attraction, which connects the two historical areas, Transylvania and Bucovina. Tihuta is remarkable for its tonic, stimulating climate, with heavily ozonized air and the highest iodine percentage in atmosphere in the entire country.

Dracula’s Castle is located in this area; it was built in the style of a medieval house at an altitude of over 1100 meters. The medieval, hospitable and original architecture of the interior yard and the castle can impress anyone. In the winter they organize rides with horse pulled sleighs.

We stay here to enjoy the local food and also the traditional wine. And if the place is not haunted by ghosts, we try to get some sleep, although maybe some sedatives wouldn’t hurt… but we have plenty of good wine.

Day 4: Piatra Fantanele- Durau

After a haunted night, but a quite breakfast, we head on Valea Bistritei, also described in the novel “Dracula”, towards Ceahlau, Moldavia’s magic mountain. The mountain air gives us an appetite, so we have to stop somewhere to eat and even drink a glass of wine. But where?!...

At the foot of the mountain, in a sunny clearing, we find a resort, with a highly pure ozonized air… Resort Durau, this place is perfect, the climate is subalpine. Is the place we need to rest and relax. After lunch, Durau, which is located at an altitude of 780-800 meters, tempts us to walk around, to breathe some fresh air and to get a good night sleep after dinner.

Day 5: Durau- Snagov- Bucharest

Moldavia is beautiful, but we don’t really have the time to visit it now, we will definitely come back some other time; now we have to go to the place where Dracula is buried and it is a really long trip.

After many miles we arrive in Snagov, this is where Dracula’s grave is. Most historians think that Vlad was buried near the altar of Snagov Monastery, which is located on an island in the middle of Lake Snagov, where we can get only by boat. What’s certain is that his head was cut off and taken to Constantinople, because the entire Ottoman community wanted to see the frightening ruler’s leadership had really ended; local legends say that Vlad’s body was buried right at monastery’s entry.

It is enough and we have to eat something, but we will eat here, in Snagov, close to the 1408’s towered monastery.

After a healthy meal we continue our way to Bucharest, our starting point in this trip. Although this is the place from where we left, this does not mean that everything is over and we have forgotten Dracula. Here, for two days, we will visit sights that remind us of Dracula and also many other interesting things.

Bucharest- the capital of Romania, is the biggest city in the country; its first recorded mentioning dates from 20 september 1459 and it was signed by Vlad Tepes (Dracula).

Of course, we have dinner at restaurants that serve Romanian cuisine. Dinner is followed by a night for “recovery” in Queen’s ( a gay club in Bucharest), where the party caries on until morning.

Day 6: Bucharest

You are the one who is going to organize the sixth day! Our schedule is according to your flight schedule. So you decide how much time you have left and we are there for you, determined to show you interesting places and things. If you wish, you can remain several days in Romania, the fun has just begun.

Accomodation: 6 nights – full board and lodging

Picking up from the airport a day before departure

Distance: 1200 km