Bran Castle

In Transylvania's Carpathian foothills, about three hours from Bucharest and 45 minutes from Brasov, Bran Castle stands on a crag above Bran village. Raised in 1377, it guarded the pass and trade road between Transylvania and Wallachia, collecting customs from merchants, and in the 1920s it became Queen Marie of Romania's summer residence, whose furnished rooms fill the museum. The Dracula story starts with a real man. Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia in the 1400s, was called the Impaler for executing enemies on stakes. In 1897 Bram Stoker borrowed his name Dracula and his cruel reputation for a fictional vampire, though Stoker never visited Romania and Vlad never lived here. In the 1900s Romania began marketing Bran as Dracula's Castle and the name stuck. Inside, narrow stairs and a hidden staircase make the fiction feel briefly real. From Oct 24 to Nov 1 the castle runs The Legend of Dracul, with themed tours and a Halloween party. In summer tickets often sell out well ahead, so book online.