Dracula’s Castle

 

Bran Castle – the castle in Romania, in the picturesque village of Bran, 30 km from Brasov, on the border of Wallachia and Transylvania. According to legend, during his trips to the castle, he slept known governor Vlad Tepes Dracula, and its surroundings were the favorite hunting ground of the king Tepes.

Castle was built in the late XIV century by locals on their own and at their own expense, for which they were exempted from paying taxes to the state treasury for several centuries. In 1622-1625 gg. It was completed two defensive towers.

Built on top of a cliff and has an unusual trapezoidal shape, Bran Castle served as the strategic defense of the fortress. It has 4 levels, which are connected to the stairs. The halls and corridors of the castle is the mysterious labyrinth.

Bran had many owners in its lifetime. At first, it belonged Ruler Mircea the Old, and then the inhabitants of Brasov and the Hapsburg Empire. According to legend, there is a well-known governor slept Vlad Tepes Dracula during his campaigns, and the area surrounding the Bran Castle was a favorite hunting ground of the king Tepes. According to one version, he was tortured in the dungeons of the castle Turkish enemies. And, perhaps, so Bran Castle is also called the castle of Dracula.

after 1918, along with the proclamation of Greater Romania, Brasov residents whose ancestors erected this castle gave it to Queen Mary as a sign of their love and devotion, after which the Bran Castle became a royal residence.   

Today the castle belongs to its rightful owner, a descendant of the Romanian kings, the grandson of Queen Mary, Dominic Habsburg (in 2006, under the new law in Romania for the return of the former owners of the territories). After the transfer of the castle owner, all the furniture was taken to a museum in Bucharest. And Dominic Habsburg had to re-recreate the decoration of the castle by buying a variety of antiques. 

Town of Bran is also famous for its cheese, the recipe of which is kept secret, and passed from one generation to another.

On the local market, you can buy knitwear made of natural wool, as well as souvenirs, most of whom play on the image of Dracula.