Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle), Brasov

...the picturesque town of Brasov, Bran Castle is probably Romania’s most-visited tourist attraction. It is touted, incorrectly, as Dracula’s Castle and the link with the notorious Vlad Tepes is, if there is any truth in it at all, tenuous to say the least. However, as castles go this one is very attractive and well worth a visit if one is in the area.

The castle was built in the early thirteenth century by the Knights of the Teutonic ...
...entirely commercial. In actual fact Bran Castle is more fairy tale than horror story.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, Bran Castle was the principal residence of Queen Marie; she was actually English – daughter of Queen Victoria and married to the King’s son – but became known as fiercely patriotic to her adopted country. What you see in the castle today is mainly the collection of central European furniture and some ceramics ... more

Situated about 25 Kilometres from the picturesque town of Brasov, Bran Castle is probably Romania’s most-visited tourist attraction. It is touted, incorrectly, as Dracula’s Castle and the link with the notorious Vlad Tepes is, if there is any truth in it at all, tenuous to say the least. However, as castles go this one is very attractive and well worth a visit if one is in the area.

The castle was built in the early thirteenth century by the Knights of the Teutonic Order and by the end of that century, it was in the hands of the Saxons who used it to protect Brasov from invaders. In the fifteenth century, legend claims,Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula), Prince of Wallachia, occasionally used Transylvania as his headquarters for his assault on Transylvania and in battles against the Ottomans. It was not however HIS castle and so the legend that has grown around it is almost entirely commercial. In actual fact Bran Castle is more fairy tale than horror story.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, Bran Castle was the principal residence of Queen Marie; she was actually English – daughter of Queen Victoria and married to the King’s son – but became known as fiercely patriotic to her adopted country. What you see in the castle today is mainly the collection of central European furniture and some ceramics that Marie acquired to furnish the castle. The very best of European craftsmanship is represented which alone makes it an interesting place to visit.

The castle is typical for its time and location; round, pointed towers, small windows, four wings built around a central courtyard and joined by narrow corridors. In spite of the fact that the Romanian Royal family lived in it so recently it is simply and sparsely furnished with white washed walls and wooden floors throughout. There are some photographs on display that show the Royal Family in the castle and they prove that the renovations have returned the castle to its former condition before it was seized by the Communist government in 1948 and left to decay until the mid 1980s.

GETTING THERE/ADMISSION

The castle is at the heart of the village of Bran which is easily reached by public bus service from Brasov. You can also take day or half day trips out with tour agencies in Bran although it is so easy to do yourself it hardly seems worth it. There are also companies based in Bucharest that offer one-day trips to Bran Castle. In Bran the service from Brasov stops under the cliffs on which the castle stands.

A ticket, bought at the gate gets you admission not only to the castle but also the open-air museum in the small park at the foot of the cliff. Admission for adults is less than £1.00 so represents pretty good value. However you will have to pay extra if you want a guided tour and you may have to wait a while before the next one leaves; tours are available in several languages. You may also find English speaking students outside the castle who will act as a guide for a small fee.

Getting from the gate to the castle involves a fairly steep climb up some stairs and once at the top, the castle, unfortunately, is not at all suitable for wheelchairs users and would probably create considerable difficulties for people with mobility problems, not least because of the woolen slippers you are required to wear over your outdoor shoes; they are a real hazard when walking on the wooden floors, especially the staircases. The slippers are kept in hampers by the door which creates something of a hold up as people try to put together a pair; don’t bother! Just find two that fit over your shoes and get going. My partner couldn’t find any to fit over his size 11 walking boots and had to just walk around in his socks instead. There is a set route around the castle and there are fairly decent captions in English and Romanian in each room.

You should leave around forty minutes to get around the castle – perhaps a bit longer for a guided tour. After that the open-air museum should provide another thirty to forty five minutes distraction depending on how much of it is open. This attraction consists of a collection of rural buildings –cottages, farm buildings, a smithy, etc – which have all been moved from their original sites in the Bran area and rebuilt. There is a listening post outside each building; press the button, select your language and hear a brief description of each building as you come to it. There may also be demonstrations of some of the skills and activities that would have gone on in the buildings.

While Bran Castle is very scenic and is worth seeing, it may be disappointing for Dracula fans hoping to visit somewhere atmospheric and in keeping with the legend; this is possibly due, in part, to the large numbers of tourists traipsing round the corridors. I would recommend it for adults but probably not for children since I think they would quickly tire of the rooms full of old furniture. The open air section, however, may hold more interest for younger visitors.

And finally, since you spent next to nothing getting in, the good folk of Bran aren’t going to let you get away without making some money out of you. The souvenir stalls are clustered like a small market and while the stuff for sale is, for the most part, pretty tawdry stuff its hard to leave without picking up some Dracula-related rubbish. However, it’s not all junk; there are some nice hand-crafted items such as cloth dolls in gypsy dress, homemade cheeses and a local firewater which you can sample before you buy.

STAYING IN BRAN

We stayed in Brasov which is an easy bus ride from Bran but there is no shortage of accommodation in Bran – hostels, hotels and homestays. There’s even a campsite on the edge of the village. I get the impression, however, that night-time entertainment is fairly limited and that Bran might feel dead at night.There is a small number of cafes and restaurants and enough places to grab a bite to eat if staying in Bran for the whole day.

Bran castle is open Tuesday – Sunday; May-Oct 9.00am – 6.00pm; Oct – May 9.00am – 4.00pm

info@brancastlemuseum.ro 

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