Bran Castle and the Truth Behind the Dracula Legend

Do you remember the first time you heard about Dracula's Castle? Or the first time you ever learned about Dracula?

I don't.

The character of Dracula has always been there for me. I remember the old plastic vampire teeth that you can totally still buy! Only $39.99 US for a 288-pack, so you can fang your whole neighborhood).

The strongest memory I have of Dracula (pre-Francis Ford Coppola Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 film) is the Castlevania video game franchise. Unforgettable tune while Simon Belmont approaches the gates to Castle Dracula. The silhouette of an undead-infested castle was just darkly magical and quite memorable. The fact that the NES Castlevania was so difficult, and I ended up dying and replaying the intro 100 times per day, probably helped burn the image of Castle Dracula into my memory.

In the book Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation​ by Blake J. Harris, it's noted that the original Japanese title of Castlevania was Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ)—which Konami of America's senior VP Emil Heidkamp renamed to Castlevania over concerns about the title's religious connotations, as he believed it translated to "Dracula Satanic Castle."

So, imagine my wide-eyed-kid-surprise upon discovering that Dracula AND Dracula's castle were REAL!

WHAT!

Vlad the Impaler and Bran Castle in Transylvania.

WHAT WHAT!

It was like learning about Santa for the first time—except this Santa drinks your blood and turns you into his newest ornament—lifeless and dangling on a pike.

Only...sometimes actual history is a bite more nuanced than what gets exsanguinated for a good story. And you can't talk about Dracula's Castle without talking about Dracula. And Bram Stoker. It's basically part of undead law.

BREAKING NEWS FROM SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024
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Gibbet Hill, a previously unknown short story by Dracula author Bram Stoker, was rediscovered in 2023 by researcher Brian Cleary in the Dublin Daily Express's 1890 Christmas supplement. The eerie tale follows a man on Gibbet Hill who encounters three strange children who control a snake, ending with the snake slithering out of the narrator's chest. Scholars confirmed its authenticity, identifying it as an early example of Stoker's gothic style. The year-long delay in announcing the find may have been due to the time needed to verify the story's origins and coordinate its release with the 2024 Bram Stoker Festival.
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Proceeds from the book's sales support the Charlotte Stoker Fund for newborn hearing research. You can purchase Gibbet Hill here. Learn more about the story on Wikipedia.

So, grab yourself a tall crimson glass and make sure you have plenty of time before sunrise because we're about to drive a stake through the myths—uncovering the truth behind Vlad the Impaler, Bram Stoker's inspirations, Romanian folklore, and the real story of the so-called Castle Dracula.

(There's a lot of info packed in here. So, if anyone spots anything amiss, let me know.)

Where Is Bran Castle?

In central Romania, 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of Brașov, lies Bran Castle. It's now famously known as "Dracula's Castle"—and the title has drawn countless visitors over the years.

Tourists have been captivated by the idea of a connection between Bran Castle, the historical Vlad the Impaler, and Bram Stoker's fictional Count Dracula. The castle's steep cliffs, forested gorges, and imposing architecture seem to align closely with Stoker's description of Dracula's lair.

Bran Castle, one of the most enduring architectural symbols of Gothic horror, continues to mesmerize visitors even today. But how did the legend of Dracula become entwined with this medieval fortress? Was there any historical connection between Vlad the Impaler and Bran Castle? Or Bram Stoker and Bran Castle? And what pieces of Romanian folklore helped shape the vampire legend we know today?

Vlad Țepeș aka Vlad the Impaler

Vlad III, known as Vlad Țepeș or Vlad the Impaler, ruled Wallachia in the 15th century and became infamous for his brutal methods, particularly impaling enemies. Historical accounts—ranging from Saxon merchants' pamphlets to Ottoman chronicles—paint a gruesome picture of his reign.

Across the world, he's known as the real-life Dracula, or at least the direct inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Little evidence suggests this is true. In fact, scholars like Elizabeth Miller, a leading Dracula expert, have thoroughly debunked this connection, finding no mention of Vlad in Stoker's notes.

Even without being able to draw a direct connection between the vampire Dracula and Vlad Țepeș, the real historical figure of Vlad is a larger-than-life character. In 1459, when Pope Pius II called for a crusade against the Ottoman Turks, only Vlad Dracula was willing to take up the fight while the rest of Europe hesitated. During this time, Vlad earned "the Impaler" nickname through the thousands of victims he left displayed on stakes, forming gruesome pike forests that lined roads leading into his cities. One of his most notorious acts followed the defeat of an Ottoman army near Târgoviște, where he arranged the bodies of 20,000 soldiers along the road as a chilling warning to would-be invaders.

Impalement, a slow and excruciating death, was not reserved solely for enemies—Vlad also used it against thieves, disloyal nobles, and other perceived threats. His fearsome reputation spread so widely that even Pope Pius II commented on his brutal tactics—of which the Pope was actually a fan, mainly because they served the strategic interests of the Catholic Church.

Historically, it's unclear how much of the gruesome imagery surrounding Vlad's reign is factual and how much stems from Saxon merchants' politically motivated pamphlets portraying him as a sadistic tyrant. These accounts aimed to undermine him due to trade disputes. In contrast, Ottoman sources depicted him with a blend of fear and respect, recognizing his fierce resistance against their expansion. Tursun Beg, an Ottoman historian active during Vlad's era, referred to him as Kazıklı Voyvoda (Impaler Lord) in his writing.

Here in the West, Vlad has been framed as a bloodthirsty tyrant, but back home in Romania, folk tales and nationalist movements cast him in an entirely different light. Locals celebrate his strict sense of justice, with stories recounting how merchants could leave gold unattended without fear of theft. Vlad became a symbol of strength, defending Wallachia from external threats and maintaining order through uncompromising discipline.

Vlad's father, Vlad II, was granted membership in the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order dedicated to defending Christendom from the Ottoman Turks. Upon inheriting his father's title, Vlad III adopted the sobriquet Dracula, derived from the Slavonic genitive form of Dracul, meaning "[the son] of Dracul (or the Dragon)." Vlad III further aligned himself with the order's militant ideals, proudly adopting the role of a fierce protector of Wallachia.

A sobriquet is a descriptive nickname, often reflecting a person's character or reputation. It derives from French and became common in English by the 17th century.

Diplomatic reports and popular accounts from the 15th century referred to him as Dracula, Dracuglia, or Drakula. And Vlad himself signed letters as "Dragulya" or "Drakulya" in the 1470s. Over time, the meaning of Dracul evolved in Romanian from "dragon" to "devil," adding to Vlad's reputation and opening the door for a meaningful connection to Bram Stoker's Dracula.

While Vlad's fierce reign has captivated historians and inspired countless legends, there is little evidence to suggest that Stoker deliberately drew from his life. Given Vlad's notorious reputation and the dark themes of Dracula, it is understandable that people mistakenly believe Stoker drew inspiration from his life. It's easy to draw a connection between the tales of Vlad's impalements, his defiance against powerful enemies, and the themes of control, fear, and punishment (along with the Gothic atmosphere) that Stoker crafted in Dracula.

Some legends even say that Vlad was imprisoned at Bran Castle.

Spoiler: nope.

Still, looking at Bram Stoker's research and inspiration to understand how the Dracula legend came to life reveals some intriguing history.

Bram Stoker's Research and Inspiration

So, Bram Stoker lost a bet to Oscar Wilde and had to travel to Transylvania for a test of courage and spend the night alone at Dracula's Castle, where he fought the vampiric form of Vlad the Impaler until sunrise, barely managing to escape with his life—and thus, the inspiration for his Dracula novel was born.

None of the above paragraph is true. Obviously.

Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde knew each other; both were born in Dublin and ran in the same social circles. Their connection deepened through Florence Balcombe, Wilde's former love interest, who married Stoker in 1878, leaving Wilde heartbroken. The two authors maintained contact despite the awkward love triangle, likely as friendly rivals in Victorian literary society.

He may not have lost a bet to Oscar Wilde, but Bram Stoker did find inspiration for Dracula during a stay in the coastal town of Whitby, England. It left a lasting impression on him, with Whitby Abbey's looming ruins and St. Mary's Church graveyard making their way into his novel.

In Dracula, the Count arrives ashore as a black dog after the Russian ship Demeter wrecks on Tate Hill Sands. From there, he climbs the 199 steps to the churchyard near Whitby Abbey. The deliberate use of real-world locations, including the dramatic shipwreck and local landmarks, helped ground the story in reality—likely contributing to its legendary status over the years.​

While staying in Whitby, Stoker requested a rare book from Whitby's Subscription Library: "​An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia" by William Wilkinson. It was in this book that Bram Stoker supposedly found the term "Dracula"—from Vlad II's title in the Order of the Dragon (Dracul).

Stoker didn't stop with Whitby Abbey and a local library book; he also visited the Whitby Museum to study maps and plot routes, building a geographical framework for his novel. He even pulled from conversations with the local Royal Coast Guard about a legendary shipwreck of a vessel named the Dmitri that ran aground in Whitby. Actual records of the Dmitri remain elusive, but as I mentioned before, Dracula had a ship called Demeter (carrying crates of earth...and an undead stowaway) that wrecked in Whitby.

During his years managing London's Lyceum Theatre, Bram Stoker worked under Sir Henry Irving, one of the most celebrated actors of the Victorian era. Stoker admired Irving to the point of near obsession, with their professional relationship deeply affecting Stoker's personal life. Scholars argue that Irving's commanding presence, charisma, and manipulative tendencies influenced Stoker's creation of Dracula's character.

After Dracula was published, Stoker held a staged reading, hoping Henry Irving would take the lead role. Irving (sadly) rejected it, dismissing the play as "dreadful," marking a deeply disappointing moment for Stoker. It remains speculative how much of Dracula's character was inspired by Irving.

Still...vampire boss fanfic?

Personally, I have to go with a yes.

Stoker also moved among prominent literary circles, forming friendships with figures such as Arthur Conan Doyle and the previously mentioned Oscar Wilde. Some rumors about Bram Stoker say he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, but so far, no one has presented any evidence of this. Still, his interest in Victorian occultism likely influenced the themes of Dracula. Stoker's interest in mesmerism (of which there is A LOT in Dracula) and the supernatural emerges clearly in Dracula, where the Count exercises psychological control over his victims.

Interestingly, while Bram Stoker clearly meticulously researched vampire lore, he never visited Eastern Europe himself. He instead relied heavily on Emily Gerard's 1885 article, Transylvanian Superstitions, and accounts shared by his friend Ármin Vámbéry of Balkan folklore—but, as with most things regarding Dracula, there's neverending debate about that, too. Scholars like Elizabeth Miller question how much influence Vámbéry had on the novel's development.

Emily Gerard and the Curious Case of "Nosferatu"

‍Emily Gerard's essay Transylvanian Superstitions (1885) introduced Bram Stoker to the term "nosferatu" to describe the undead. Her detailed account of Romanian vampire lore, including practices like staking corpses and burning hearts, but...

The word nosferatu, popularized in Bram Stoker's Dracula and later cemented in vampire lore by the 1922 silent film Nosferatu, is not an authentic Romanian term for vampire. It first appeared in Emily Gerard's 1885 essay Transylvanian Superstitions. Scholars believe it was likely a mistranslation or misinterpretation of Romanian words like nesuferit (meaning 'unbearable' or 'insufferable') or necurat (meaning 'unclean' or associated with evil spirits)​.

Other theories suggest a possible connection to the Greek term nosophoros, meaning 'plague carrier,' reflecting the vampire's symbolic association with disease and contagion. However, Gerard's unfamiliarity with the Romanian language casts doubt on the accuracy of the word's origin, and there is no evidence of nosferatu being used historically in Romanian folklore.

And, to complicate things even further, curious variations between editions suggest there's more to uncover about Dracula's origins. For example, Makt Myrkranna, the Icelandic edition of Dracula from 1901, contains a preface that frames the novel as a warning based on actual events. This version, along with other early editions and Stoker's journals, really blurs the lines between fact and fiction, again making it easy for a reader to connect Vlad III and the fictional Dracula.

Some believe that characters like Jonathan Harker and Dr. Seward were based on people Bram Stoker knew, but Stoker never confirmed this, leaving it open to speculation by scholars. It's also rumored that his publisher, Archibald Constable & Co., made substantial changes to the original manuscript, cutting over 100 pages and altering character fates. However, there's no solid evidence these edits were made to prevent public panic—any changes were likely routine edits for publication​.

Fast forwarding to the 1980s, a long-lost typescript of Dracula was discovered in Transylvania's North American Amish cousin—Pennsylvania. Transylvania...Pennsylvania...you do the undead math. Actually, not only was it found in Pennsylvania, it was found in a freaking barn in Pennsylvania.

No fang-in-cheek joke.

Seriously, I stake you not—this really happened.

What was found in a barn in Pennsylvania is believed to be an early version of the novel, shedding light on parts of the original narrative that were altered or cut before publication. How it ended up in the U.S. and who directed the changes remains unknown. Some scholars speculate that the novel may have initially been more expansive, with early chapters removed before publication—though the missing pages don't necessarily mean the original version was longer. Portions of the cut material were later released as Dracula's Guest, a short story released posthumously in 1914 that mirrors themes of seduction and danger found in earlier vampire literature, especially Carmilla​ by Sheridan Le Fanu. While Carmilla's influence on Dracula is debated, parallels in themes of predation, seduction, and Gothic atmosphere suggest that Stoker may have drawn inspiration from Le Fanu's novella.

Dracula was originally titled The Un-Dead, but Stoker changed it before publication. Probably a good thing because, by today's standards, the original title would be pretty cringe. And, just to be extra clear, neither the novel nor Stoker's notes directly link the character to Vlad the Impaler—those connections came from later interpretations.

Though initially modest in its reception, Dracula grew into a cultural phenomenon, but it started with a modest reception. It quickly inspired numerous adaptations, including the first unauthorized adaptation, Nosferatu (1922), which resulted in a legal battle initiated by Stoker's widow, Florence. Although the court ruled in her favor and ordered the destruction of all prints, one survived—which is why we know about Nosferatu at all.

Horror often mirrors society's deepest fears, and Count Orlok's rat-like look in Nosferatu (1922) may reflect post-World War I fears, like the 1918 flu pandemic. The film gave vampire lore a new twist, trading Stoker's suave Dracula for a figure that embodied plague and death instead.

As Dracula evolved through adaptations, it began incorporating older European legends, like the strigoi of Romanian folklore, further linking vampire myths to regional superstitions. For example, Stoker's novel and his notes do not directly mention strigoi, but it's evident that Bram Stoker pulled quite a bit from Romanian folklore.

The Strigoi and Romanian Folklore

Romanian folklore is full of stories about terrifying creatures like the strigoi. Romanian folklore divides the strigoi into two categories: strigoi vii (living strigoi), individuals born with supernatural gifts, and strigoi morți (dead strigoi), restless spirits that rise from their graves to torment the living. Both types are feared for their ability to shape-shift, become invisible, and drain vitality from their victims.

I'm sure you can already see the similarities to what Bram Stoker wrote about, but although strigoi are often compared to vampires, they are not limited to bloodsucking. Some legends portray them as malevolent spirits that drain life force or spread illness.

The term strigoi has its roots in Latin, tracing back to the word strix, which referred to an owl or a night creature in Roman mythology that preyed on human flesh and blood, especially that of infants. Similar creatures appear throughout Europe under various names—such as the Venetian strìga or the French stryge, associated with witches or nocturnal predators.

In Romanian legend, anyone could become a strigoi under certain conditions: dying without marriage, committing perjury, suicide, or falling victim to a curse. Suicides and unbaptized children were especially vulnerable to becoming strigoi as their souls were thought to be trapped between worlds. Improper burial practices also increased the likelihood of transformation—you may have seen this in some vampire tales. Bodies were sometimes reburied face-down to confuse the spirit or pinned to the ground with iron stakes driven through the skull or limbs to prevent resurrection.

Oh, and also, if you happen to have red hair, you might become a strigoi. Whoops.

In 1887, Élisée Reclus described Romanian burial practices involving red-haired corpses, believed to return as creatures to drain the blood of young girls:

‍"If the deceased has red hair, he is very concerned that he was back in the form of dog, frog, flea or bedbug, and that it enters into houses at night to suck the blood of beautiful young girls. So it is prudent to nail the coffin heavily, or, better yet, a stake through the chest of the corpse."

Like with witches, strigoi were blamed for all sorts of disasters like plague and famine. During outbreaks, entire cemeteries were exhumed, with bodies mutilated or burned to halt the spread of death. Hearts were removed and destroyed, and the bodies of suspected strigoi were often decapitated or burned to ensure they could no longer rise. Both witch and vampire hunts involved fear of the supernatural, scapegoating, and targeting vulnerable individuals—especially outcasts like the elderly, disabled, or mentally ill. In both cases, hysteria led to violent actions, whether through mob justice during life or desecration after death.

Although the strigoi weren't mentioned in Dracula, there was a piece of dark Romanian folklore that was...

The Scholomance: A School of Black Magic and Dragons

Among the most intriguing legends of Romania is that of the Scholomance, a mythical school hidden deep within the Carpathian Mountains. Known in Romanian as Șolomanță or Solomonărie, the school was said to be run by the Devil himself. This fabled institution recruited a handful of pupils—typically between seven and thirteen—who would study the dark arts for seven years in complete isolation, shunning sunlight and contact with the outside world.

While at the Scholomance, students were taught the language of animals, magical spells, and the secrets of nature. One of the most coveted skills involved summoning and riding powerful beings known as zmeu—cunning, shape-shifting creatures from Romanian folklore—or balaur, a multi-headed dragon. The zmeu, tied to the Slavic zmey, is intelligent and often shape-shifts to deceive, while the brute balaur is said to symbolize raw destruction. In Romanian tales, the zmeu abducts women (because, of course, they do) and serves as an obstacle for heroes like Făt-Frumos. Both creatures were said to dwell in the depths of a mountaintop lake, believed by some to lie south of modern-day Sibiu, though the location varies across legends.

Just imagine learning in school how to summon one of those things. Well, if you went to the Scholomance, you might have had the opportunity. Folklore about the school says that the Devil would select one of the students—the "tenth scholar"—as payment. This chosen graduate would become the Weathermaker, a sorcerer tasked with riding the dragon to command the elements at the Devil's bidding. But legends warn that if the dragon ever grew weary and plummeted to the earth, it would devour vast portions of the land.

The origins of the Scholomance legend can be traced back to stories of King Solomon, renowned for commanding supernatural beings and forces, including dominion over the weather. However, as the legend evolved, these students—now called Solomonari—became terrifying figures rather than sages. According to Romanian folklorist Simion Florea Marian, the Solomonari were feared as dark sorcerers, with some legends likening them to strigoi, restless spirits, or vampires—just like Dracula.

The Scholomance, by the way, is still inspiring stories today. Notable examples include Michael Scott Rohan's Lord of Middle Air, the Scholomance Academy featured in Blizzard's World of Warcraft, and Naomi Novik's Scholomance series, which reimagines the concept as a dangerous, self-aware school for young wizards.

Bram Stoker encountered these legends through Emily Gerard's 1885 article, Transylvanian Superstitions, which provided crucial source material for his portrayal of Count Dracula. In Dracula, Stoker refers to the Scholomance directly, presenting it as a place where Dracula learned dark, ancient, forbidden knowledge—kind of like if Voldemort ran Hogwarts. Although Dracula locates the Scholomance near the fictional "Lake Hermanstadt," the novel keeps the legend's essence—depicting education as a double-edged sword that could corrupt the soul and place students at the mercy of supernatural forces.

Given all of this real folklore and ties to real-world locations, it leaves one to wonder how exactly Bran Castle got the name "Dracula's Castle"—even though Bram Stoker never mentioned Bran Castle OR Vlad III.

Well, there is actually an answer to this. It's the stuff of nightmares. A creature born of the darkest night that makes even the bravest cower under their covers, crying for their mom, like a newborn, to come to save them. It's something we've all encountered, and there is absolutely no way to kill it, even if we were to drive a stake through its heart, behead it, and bury it face down.

Capitalism.

The Real History of Bran Castle

The real story of Bran Castle can be traced back to 1212 when the Teutonic Order constructed a wooden fortress named Dietrichstein (family name) at the entrance to a strategic mountain pass in the Burzenland region. This fortress was intended to protect trade routes between Transylvania and Wallachia. However, the Mongol invasion of 1242 left the wooden structure in ruins.

The current stone castle—which may or may not be located in the same spot as the wooden fortress Dietrichstein—first appears in historical records in 1377, when Louis I of Hungary granted the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brașov) the right to rebuild the castle with their own resources and labor. Its primary function was still military, guarding the vital trade route between the two regions and serving as a customs post. Mircea the Elder (of Wallachia) briefly controlled the castle during his reign in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, setting up a customs system that remained in place for centuries.

In the 1400s, when Vlad III lived (1431 to 1476), Vlad's connection to Bran Castle was incredibly tenuous at best. Vlad III passed through the Bran Gorge multiple times during military campaigns. However, there is no evidence that he ever stayed at the castle. The popular belief that he was imprisoned at Bran Castle has been debunked by historians, who now conclude that his imprisonment occurred at the Visegrád Fortress, north of Budapest, all the way over in Hungary. Visegrád Fortress and Bran Castle lie about 750 kilometers away (~460 miles)—so, in Vlad's time? Not even close. Not only that, but the idea of Vlad being imprisoned at Bran Castle seems a modern fabrication, with no credible historical basis to support it and no apparent source on where the story even came from. In fact, the story seems to have gained traction primarily through 20th-century narratives and tourism efforts that aimed to align the real Vlad with the Dracula myth.

Bran Castle was historically known as Törzburg (or Terzburg in some translations), a name of German origin reflecting the influence of Saxon settlers in the region.

After Vlad III's time, the castle again played a pivotal military role in 1530 when Moise of Wallachia attempted to seize it. Székely soldiers defending the stronghold successfully repelled the attack, reinforcing the castle's strategic importance throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. However, by the mid-18th century, Bran Castle's importance as a military asset had waned, and it eventually fell into disrepair—a perfect place for a vampire character like Dracula to lurk around, if only there had been one.

Following the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, which transferred Transylvania from Hungary to Romania, the Saxons of Brașov gifted the castle to Queen Marie of Romania. The structure was in very poor condition, but Queen Marie undertook extensive renovations, transforming it into a royal residence. She collaborated with Czech architect Karel Zdeněk Líman to modernize the interior while preserving the castle's medieval charm. Queen Marie filled Bran Castle with art, furniture, and personal memorabilia, creating a space reflecting her taste and Romanian cultural heritage.

After Queen Marie's death, the castle passed to her daughter, Princess Ileana, who used it as a summer retreat. During World War II, Princess Ileana converted the castle into a hospital for wounded soldiers.

In 1948, the communist regime seized the castle, exiling the royal family and nationalizing the property. For several decades, Bran Castle served as a museum dedicated to medieval artifacts and furniture, though it remained a shadow of its former glory. After the fall of communism in 1989, a new law passed in 2005 allowed for the restitution of properties confiscated during the communist era.

Following a lengthy legal battle, ownership of Bran Castle was officially restored in 2006 to Archduke Dominic von Habsburg, the grandson of Princess Ileana of Romania and part of the Habsburg dynasty, through her marriage to Archduke Anton of Austria. Despite some controversy, the Romanian government recognized the legitimacy of the family's claim. In 2009, the Habsburg family—descendants of Princess Ileana—reopened the castle to the public as Romania's first private museum, ensuring its preservation as a cultural landmark and a tourist attraction.

In the modern world, some historic structures like Bran Castle have their own website. Which, in itself, is absolutely bizarre and surreal. It just so happens that on Bran Castle's website, they describe the (lack of) connection between Bran Castle, Vlad III, and Bram Stoker's Dracula: it is the only castle in Transylvania that matches the description from Dracula.

It's believed—but once again, there's no hard evidence—Stoker based his fictional castle on an illustration of Bran Castle in Charles Boner's 1865 book, Transylvania: Its Product and Its People.

Bran Castle as a Tourist Attraction

Today, Bran Castle is one of Romania's most iconic tourist destinations, drawing visitors from around the world with its Gothic architecture and (albeit wrong) reputation as "Dracula's Castle." Visitors can explore the castle's history through exhibits showcasing artifacts collected by Queen Marie, including Renaissance furniture, medieval armor, and royal memorabilia. Many rooms retain elements of Queen Marie's renovations, such as secret staircases and cozy nooks filled with objects that reflect Queen Marie's fascination with Romanian folklore.

At the base of the castle hill lies an open-air museum, which offers a glimpse into traditional Romanian peasant life with displays of barns, cottages, and water-powered machinery. The castle also hosts seasonal events, such as Halloween tours, which embrace its connection to the Dracula myth, and historical reenactments that bring medieval life to the forefront.

The castle plays a crucial role in Romania's tourism industry, with efforts focused on preserving its architectural integrity while embracing its place in popular culture due to the myth of it being Dracula's abode.

And there you have it! All the information on the connection between Dracula and Bran Castle you can shake a hawthorn stake at. What's truly incredible here is that the myth of Bran Castle as the lair of the real-life Dracula has been perpetuated for so long, and it still continues to this day, so much so that it's easy to think that Vlad III is Dracula and that he lived in Bran Castle. But that's the power of stories.

B-B-B-BONUS: VAMPIRES GALORE

Since we're talking about vampires and this whole thing turned into a mega-post, here's a little (big) bonus section. It's from an interview (of me) about vampires for a magazine.

Defining Characteristics of the Vampire

The folklore around the world all have one thing in common: blood. Vampires are always out for blood. Starting from there, the characteristics vary greatly across cultures and time. One of the more commonly known vampire traits, fangs, wasn't even associated with vampires until 1872 with the release of a penny dreadful titled Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood. Western culture often thinks of fangs and sex appeal, while other parts of the world think of floating heads dragging entrails and calling out to you from the dark.

Origins of the Vampire's Seductive Element Compared to Other Monsters

The horror genre and its monsters change with current events; it wraps our collective fears into stories and reflects them back at us, giving a face to our cultural trauma in a way that makes it more understandable so we can begin to deal with it. One of the most well-known vampire stories with obvious sexual undertones was that of Dracula by Bram Stoker in 1897. However, about a quarter-century before, Sheridan Le Fanu released a serialized work titled Carmilla, depicting a lesbian vampire that set the sexual undertone and themes for future work that still continues today. Le Fanu's story can be taken as a commentary on the Victorian-era oppression of women and sexual repression at a time when one of society's most deep-seated fears was women's empowerment, including women's sexuality. After all, if a vampire with supernatural hypnotic sexual powers seduces you, anything you do is the fault of the monster and not of you. The link between vampirism and sexuality goes much farther back, though.

First Appearance of Vampires in Literature

The concept of a vampire consuming blood for power goes back thousands of years in folklore, but it seems it took a while for someone to write about it. German poet Heinrich August Ossenfelder penned a piece titled "Der Vampyr" in 1748—this is generally considered the earliest known literary reference to a vampire in modern literature. It's about a man frustrated by a woman who continually refuses his advances and how he imagines himself as a vampire who sneaks into her room to kiss her and drain her blood.

Historical Vampire Panics and Their Influence on Culture

Tuberculosis, aka consumption, was a big culprit. It's linked to several vampire panics throughout history as it's easily spread, especially among family members—often taking out entire households (and neighboring ones) one at a time. Some symptoms of tuberculosis that cultures might recognize as vampirism would be the victims becoming gaunt, emaciated, and extremely pale. The Great New England Vampire Panic happened in the 1850s, two hundred years after the Salem witch trials. Today, we know it was a tuberculosis outbreak, likely stemming from poor nutrition and sanitation. In various parts of the world, though, vampires were blamed when an unidentified disease took hold. Vampires getting the blame says a lot about how humans react to the unknown—with fear and aggression.

Vampires vs. Werewolves: Friends or Enemies?

Vampires and werewolves have quite a bit in common. They both kill humans; humans can become like them from a bite, pass themselves off as human, and, at least modernly, many stories depict them as unwilling or uncomfortable with the fact that they are no longer human. There are plenty of differences, though: vampires are immortal and always have their powers, whereas werewolves live average lifespans and tend to have their powers under the light of a full moon. The question of vampires and werewolves as friends or enemies or who would win in a fight is controversial, much like pineapple on pizza. If both find a friendship mutually beneficial, then there's no reason why they couldn't be friends and stand united against humanity.

As far as who would win in a fight, it depends on the specific variety of vampires and werewolves. Dracula could control wolves or simply use the advantage of being immortal to wait out the lifespan of a werewolf. A werewolf has the distinct disadvantage of only having access to its abilities during the full moon, whereas vampires are at full power every night. For a cage match, though, with each at full strength, I'd bet on a vampire winning because they can operate silver bullets, but a wolf's paw might have trouble working a wooden stake.

Commonly Accepted Rules for Vampires

Bram Stoker set some hard and fast rules for vampires in Dracula that can be found everywhere today: a vampire rests in its lair (earthen or otherwise) during the day, a vampire has trouble crossing water, a vampire bite creates another vampire, garlic repels vampires, a wooden stake through the heart can kill a vampire, and a vampire drinks the blood of the living to survive. Oh, and of course, a vampire must be invited inside, per Bram Stoker's Dracula: "He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be some one of the household who bid him to come; though afterwards he can come as he please."

One helpful rule from vampiric folklore is that all you need to do to protect yourself from a vampire at night is to spread seeds or grains of rice around your house. Any vampire wanting to enter would become distracted with counting them all up to get around to coming inside to kill you.

Real-World Influences on Vampire Tales

Some believe that a disease known as porphyria may have significantly impacted vampirism as we know it today. In fact, the overlap of porphyria symptoms with vampirism is undeniable. The term was coined before Dracula, and knowledge of it arguably goes back to Hippocrates of Ancient Greece, but it was a relatively unknown condition at the time, and a clear link between porphyria and vampirism hasn't been made yet. Symptoms of porphyria include sensitivity to sunlight, receding gums, which could be interpreted as fangs, dark red urine, which folklore blamed on drinking blood, and even an aversion to garlic because the sulfur could lead to acute pain.

Another potential real-world influence comes from Hungary in the 16th and 17th centuries. Báthori Erzsébet, or Elizabeth Bathory in the English-speaking world, was accused of being a serial killer who bathed in the blood of virgins to retain a youthful appearance. The historical evidence of the accusations against her is a bit thin, but the story has risen to legendary status regardless. Some believe she was framed, while others consider her one of the earliest known serial killers. We may never know the truth, but as far as influence on vampire tales, she was born into a wealthy family in Transylvania, which seems to be a hub of vampiric activity in stories from Dracula onward.

Famous Vampiric Tales Beyond Dracula

Obviously, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Most of our modern vampire tales are famous now, including Buffy, Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series, Count von Count from Sesame Street, The Lost Boys, Dark Shadows, Blade, and the list goes on. Count Orlok from the 1922 film Nosferatu may be as visually iconic as Bela Lugosi's depiction of Dracula in the 1931 film Dracula.

Vampires Across Cultures

Belief in vampire-like creatures spans cultures and history throughout the entire world. Everything from the jiangshi of China and the vrykolakas in Greece to the langsuyar of Malaysia or soucouyant in the Caribbean, going as far back as the Goddess Sekhmet of Ancient Egypt drinking blood or the ekimmu of Ancient Mesopotamia. There are even modern sci-fi stories featuring vampires in space. Vampires are all over the place, and I think it's safe to say that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Dracula's Enduring Popularity

It's been 125 years since Bram Stoker's Dracula first came out, yet the figure might be more popular now than ever. What made that particular story so extraordinary? I think a series of coincidences propelled Bram Stoker's story into the fame it enjoys today. It may have fallen into obscurity if not for the unauthorized film Nosferatu of 1922. Bram Stoker's widow, Florence Balcombe, took legal action for copyright infringement and won a case against the filmmakers. To further protect Bram Stoker's work, Florence went on to grant rights to a neighbor of hers, Hamilton Deane, to create a stage play as the first officially authorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. Shortly after the play toured England, it was revised to become a Broadway production starring Bela Lugosi, who went on to star in the Universal Pictures film Dracula in 1931.

Relevant & Related

• Read Dracula​ by Bram Stoker over on Goodreads.
• Get a video tour of Bran Castle by AbouTravel on YouTube.
• Want to read Dracula? You can, for free, on Project Gutenberg: The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dracula, by Bram Stoker.
• Be sure to check out even more about Vlad in The real Vlad Dracula: in search of a 15th-century warlord by Tim Newark.
• Don't forget that Bran Castle has its own website, too.
• Audiobooks more your thing? Try the unabridged and complete audiobook of Bram Stoker's ​Dracula​ by Steven "Red Fox" Garnett. It's a fun one, and you can even hear him flipping the pages of Jonathan Harker's journal.
• Read more about Bram Stoker's boss, Sir Henry Irving, in How One of the Victorian Era's Most Famous Actors Became Bram Stoker's Dracula by Kate Horowitz.
• Remember when I mentioned the oddities in the Icelandic version of Dracula? Read more about that here: Powers of Darkness - Makt Myrkranna, author's preface.
• I'm not sure precisely where this is from, but there's an old-time radio audio drama of Bram Stoker's Dracula available on Retro Audio Theater's YouTube. It's a good production, complete with different voices, sound effects, and that old-time radio crackle and hiss. Retro Audio Theater Presents: Dracula - by Bram Stoker​
• Check out more about Bram Stoker's original notes in Dracula Lives! (in Philadelphia): The Rosenbach museum is home to Bram Stoker's original notes on vampires and a growing collection of undead literature by April White.
• There's another good video tour of Dracula's Castle by Samandjessexplore on YouTube: Inside Dracula's Castle.
• And let's not forget about Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker. You can read it online for free at Project Gutenberg: ​Dracula's Guest​ by Bram Stoker.

You might enjoy these other articles:

• ​Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu​
• ​Zmeu of Romanian Folklore​
• ​The Vrykolakas of Greek Folklore​
• ​The True Story of Arnold Paole, Vampire of Meduegna, Serbia​
• ​Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood​
• ​Jure Grando of Kringa, Croatia​
• ​Vântoase of Romanian Folklore​
• ​The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde​
• ​Templo Mayor, Human Sacrifice, and Cihuateteo of Mexico City