Walking in Dracula's Footsteps
...Well, not quite.
As
you all know, thanks to author Bram Stoker, Dracula will always be associated
with Transylvania and all its history.
Without going much further into the whole story about Dracula, this castle
named "Bran" has its own history. Despite it also being called Dracula˙s
castle , it's based on only a sprinkle of truth and a whole lot of myth.
We were in Romania so I could introduce our kids to the country where I was
born. My parents still live there, and my dad, "Tataia" ("Grampa"
in Romanian), even came with us to the castle, considered a tourist trap by
many!
Would
I still recommend it for a traveler that wants to see something outside of
the normal tourist traps scattered all over Europe? Of course, I would. Just
don't go there expecting to see the Count's coffin or even the Count himself.
Here's what you will find and expect. First of all, if you're coming from
Bucharest, you'd have to either rent a car or take the train to Brasov and
cut through the Carpathian Mountains to reach Transylvania. From there, if
no car is available to you, you can find a taxi or if you're more adventurous,
like we were feeling, hop on one of many tour buses (this is no Greyhound,
folks) and for a cheap fare and sharing your seat with a chicken or two you'll
be there in about an hour. (If you're easily stressed, go for the taxi option!)
The roads are not what you'd call major highways and you may come across a
horse drawn wagon taking its time doing about 5 mph and taking most of the
road. Make sure you have your camera ready at all times! You never know what
you may come across.
Once
you arrive there, the bus will stop right in front of the castle and a multitude
of vendors will greet you with everything from goat cheese to Dracula coffee
mugs. Again, have camera in hand and ready to shoot. If you'd like to pick
an item or two, you might want to wait until you're done with the castle tour.
You'll have less to carry and there will be plenty of time afterward to do
some haggling.
The castle itself looks much bigger once you enter it and walk around. The
courtyard is very nice and the balconies are worth a nice picture or two.
The
surrounding countryside is beautiful too and you'll have a chance to see all
around from great castle viewpoints.
One of the most exciting parts of the castle was a "secret" passage
to the upstairs rooms. The kids absolutely loved it! Well, to be honest, I
loved it too! But one thing that I found amusing about the tour was that the
Count was not really mentioned. The ruler, Vlad Tepes, Dracula, in Stoker's
book, barely set foot in this castle. We still found it intriguing--you won't
be disappointed either.
Once you're done with the castle tour, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes,
then it's time to hit the souvenir vendors and see how many trinkets you can
carry and bring back home. Personally, I thought this was more fun than seeing
the castle, but you be the judge and keep an open mind on the whole thing.
You'll have a memory worth sharing. Give yourself a good day to spend on this
trip.
I also recommend, if you happen to have the time, to go see Castle
Peles on the way to Brasov from Bucharest. Another worthwhile stop in
your adventures. Enjoy!