Most people access the drive from Romania’s biggest city, Bucharest. The entire drive can be done from Bucharest and return on the same day, but this will be a long, tiring day and it is best to split it up to two or three days to get the most out of the great experience.

Most of the highway is closed during winter, as the middle part has a very high elevation and lots of snow. The typical opening months are mid-June to mid-October, but it changes from year to year so make sure to research it before you start the trip!

The highway is famous for its incredible switchbacks and green, lush mountains. There are plenty of places to pull over if you want to take pictures, so take your time going around the many steep bends.

You can also stop in unique cities like Brasov, home of Bran Castle, the famous castle that inspired the making of Dracula!

The post The Transfagarasan Highway: the Most Spectacular Road in Romania appeared first on Traveler Master.

Located in Transylvania, Bran castle sits above a high valley. The castle was once believed to be home to a man named Vlad Tepes, who was often referred to as Vlad Dracul. The mysterious prince, in fact, lived in a castle nearby, but the description Stoker gives of Dracula’s castle in the novel is eerily similar to the real-life Bran Castle.

Stoker says that the castle sits “…on the very edge of a terrific precipice … with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm [with] silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.”

The infamous Vlad Dracul was known to have visited the castle from time to time. He used it as a base to punish those who disobeyed his commands. Whether these punishments involved Vlad drinking the blood of his enemies is down to legend.

When you visit Bran Castle, you can learn about the history of Vlad Dracul, the castle itself, and its relation to the fictitious Count Dracula. You will be surprised to learn the similarities stretch further than you might expect…

The post The Legend Behind Dracula’s Castle, Romania appeared first on Traveler Master.

According to historical evidence, the Bran castle wasn’t ever owned by Vlad Tepes aka the 15th-century prince Dracula. It was in the property of the Saxons, Dracula’s biggest and worst enemies. Later, he attacked the Saxons and took over the castle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjWaUyIFKqv/?tagged=draculascastle

Queen Marie’s heart

In the past, Bran castle wasn’t a castle at all. It was a border fortress on the Transylvanian and Wallachian border. For a long period of time, after Transylvania was united with the rest of Romania in 1920, it was abandoned. Then, Queen Marie arrived. She loved her castle so much, that she mentioned in her will that when she dies she wants her heart to be removed from her body and buried next to the castle. Her will was fulfilled. On the south-west side of the castle, at the edge of the forest, there is the urn with Queen Marie’s heart.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXEJMxBQBc/?tagged=brancastle

The secret passage

The secret passage was an escape tunnel built inside the fireplace wall and was used in case of emergency. It used to connect the first floor with the third floor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXiTtOlt2c/?tagged=brancastle

The mysterious well

The well in Bran’s castle was 18 meters (60 feet) deep. However, water pumping wasn’t its purpose. Just before the water level, they build a secret room where they’ve had hidden all the treasures.

The post The Truth About Dracula’s Castle appeared first on Traveler Master.

Most people access the drive from Romania’s biggest city, Bucharest. The entire drive can be done from Bucharest and return on the same day, but this will be a long, tiring day and it is best to split it up to two or three days to get the most out of the great experience.

Most of the highway is closed during winter, as the middle part has a very high elevation and lots of snow. The typical opening months are mid-June to mid-October, but it changes from year to year so make sure to research it before you start the trip!

The highway is famous for its incredible switchbacks and green, lush mountains. There are plenty of places to pull over if you want to take pictures, so take your time going around the many steep bends.

You can also stop in unique cities like Brasov, home of Bran Castle, the famous castle that inspired the making of Dracula!

The post The Transfagarasan Highway: the Most Spectacular Road in Romania appeared first on Traveler Master.

Located in Transylvania, Bran castle sits above a high valley. The castle was once believed to be home to a man named Vlad Tepes, who was often referred to as Vlad Dracul. The mysterious prince, in fact, lived in a castle nearby, but the description Stoker gives of Dracula’s castle in the novel is eerily similar to the real-life Bran Castle.

Stoker says that the castle sits “…on the very edge of a terrific precipice … with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm [with] silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.”

The infamous Vlad Dracul was known to have visited the castle from time to time. He used it as a base to punish those who disobeyed his commands. Whether these punishments involved Vlad drinking the blood of his enemies is down to legend.

When you visit Bran Castle, you can learn about the history of Vlad Dracul, the castle itself, and its relation to the fictitious Count Dracula. You will be surprised to learn the similarities stretch further than you might expect…

The post The Legend Behind Dracula’s Castle, Romania appeared first on Traveler Master.

According to historical evidence, the Bran castle wasn’t ever owned by Vlad Tepes aka the 15th-century prince Dracula. It was in the property of the Saxons, Dracula’s biggest and worst enemies. Later, he attacked the Saxons and took over the castle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjWaUyIFKqv/?tagged=draculascastle

Queen Marie’s heart

In the past, Bran castle wasn’t a castle at all. It was a border fortress on the Transylvanian and Wallachian border. For a long period of time, after Transylvania was united with the rest of Romania in 1920, it was abandoned. Then, Queen Marie arrived. She loved her castle so much, that she mentioned in her will that when she dies she wants her heart to be removed from her body and buried next to the castle. Her will was fulfilled. On the south-west side of the castle, at the edge of the forest, there is the urn with Queen Marie’s heart.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXEJMxBQBc/?tagged=brancastle

The secret passage

The secret passage was an escape tunnel built inside the fireplace wall and was used in case of emergency. It used to connect the first floor with the third floor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXiTtOlt2c/?tagged=brancastle

The mysterious well

The well in Bran’s castle was 18 meters (60 feet) deep. However, water pumping wasn’t its purpose. Just before the water level, they build a secret room where they’ve had hidden all the treasures.

The post The Truth About Dracula’s Castle appeared first on Traveler Master.