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Haunted PlacesBran, Transylvania, Romania3 min read

Bran Castle: Transylvania's Dracula Legend

The cliff-top Carpathian castle marketed as Dracula's home — tied to the real, brutal Vlad the Impaler.

Bran Castle: Transylvania's Dracula Legend — Bran, Transylvania, Romania
Photo: Dobre Cezar · CC BY-SA 3.0 ro · via Wikimedia Commons

The "Dracula" castle

Perched dramatically on a cliff in the Carpathians, the 14th-century Bran Castle is marketed as the home of Bram Stoker's Dracula — though Stoker never visited and only loosely tied it to his villain.

History and lore

Its real link is to Vlad III "the Impaler," the brutal 15th-century prince who may have been imprisoned here briefly and who inspired the Dracula name. The castle's towers, secret passages, and mountain mists have made it one of the most atmospheric dark-tourism sites on Earth.

Visit

Now a museum, Bran Castle is open to visitors year-round and hosts special events around Halloween.

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