Bran
Romania · Transylvania · 760 m
Description
Bran Castle (Castelul Bran) is marketed everywhere as Dracula's castle, which it is not. Vlad the Impaler may have passed through and was possibly held here briefly, and Bram Stoker never saw it, but the silhouette on its rock at the pass matches the description in the novel closely enough that the association stuck and now brings around a million visitors a year. What is actually inside is Queen Marie's interwar royal residence, warm and domestic, full of her furniture. The village below it is one long line of souvenir stalls, and the honesty of the place is that nobody pretends otherwise.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Bran Castle on its rock at the pass
- Queen Marie's royal apartments
- Dracula legend rooms and the Halloween nights (approx. October)
- Souvenir market below the castle
- Castle courtyard and its secret stair
- Bran village and the Bucegi foothills
- Village museum of Bran
- Moeciu and Magura shepherd villages(Day trip)
- Pestera and the Bucegi plateau walks(Day trip)