Located in one of the most beautiful mountainous areas of Romania, Bran Castle is steeped in history. The castle was built between 1226 and 1388, initially serving as a military defense unit. Today, it is often mistaken for the residence of Dracula, who is believed to be inspired by Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Wallachia. Situated 30 kilometers from Brașov, the castle is currently owned by Dominic of Habsburg, a descendant of Princess Ileana.
Bran Castle is built on a rock in a strategically perfect location. The castle houses the Bran Museum, which spans all four floors of the castle. The museum features collections of ceramics, weapons and armor, and furniture.
Bran Castle is located at the entrance of the Rucăr-Bran Pass, on the road connecting Brașov to Câmpulung, framed by the peaks of the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains. It is situated on national road DN73, heading west from Brașov through the Bartolomeu neighborhood. The distance from Bucharest to Bran is approximately 200 km. The area is part of the Bran-Moeciu region, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Brașov County.
The Construction and Evolution of Bran Castle
Bran Castle was constructed between 1226 and 1388, originally serving as a military defense unit. The structure was later modified and transformed into a fortress. In 1377, Louis the Great (Louis I of Anjou) granted the inhabitants of Brașov (Kronstadt, meaning ‘the City of the Crown’) the privilege of building a castle. Initially, the castle was named Turciu in Romanian, Dietrichstein or Torzburg in German, and Torcsvár in Hungarian.
After the German Emperor and King of Hungary, Sigismund of Luxembourg, used Bran Castle as a strategic base for a visit to Wallachia in 1395, he granted Mircea the Elder control over the castle in 1407. Bran remained under the authority of Wallachia until 1419.
On December 1, 1920, the castle was donated to Queen Marie of Romania, in gratitude for her contribution to the achievement of the Great Union.
The Royal Legacy and Dracula Myth
Currently, the castle is owned by Dominic of Habsburg, the descendant of Princess Ileana.
Queen Marie’s heart was, for a time, buried at Bran, as it was one of her favorite places during her lifetime, a period which also marked the castle’s own time of glory. In 1938, Queen Marie’s daughter, Princess Ileana, inherited Bran Castle. Ten years later, the royal family was expelled from the country by the communists, and the property was taken over by the Romanian state. Another decade later, Bran Castle was transformed into a history museum.
With a rich history behind it, Bran Castle is now visited due to the story of Count Dracula, a character that appears in the novel of the same name by Irish author Bram Stoker, published in England in 1897. Both Vlad the Impaler and his father, Vlad Dracul, are associated with this name. Vlad the Impaler was the ruler of Wallachia between 1456-1462 and in 1467. For political reasons, historians of the time described him as a ruthless and bloodthirsty despot. The myths surrounding Dracula are further enriched by the legends and popular beliefs in Transylvania about vampires.
