Bran Castle, Transylvania, home of ‘Dracula’

Thought I’d take a look in. It would be rude not to seeing as it’s only 20km down the road.

Bran Castle was set up as a tax haven between East and West what used to be Wallachia by tuotonic knights after the crusades.

It’s vantage point, geographical location and local features made it one of the key castles and the seat of Wallachian nobility.

Most of the walk thru is dedicated to the nobility and the history of the castle across the years. During the Soviet period, the castle fell into disrepair. Only in 2009 was it bought out and restored becoming what it is today, a tourist attraction.

Expensive

Its expensive to get in. £15 for basic entry fee, more if you want to a guided tour or to see ‘tourture weapons’.

I didn’t want to bother.

Most of the tour is historical, although there is some reference to local superstitions, which are indeed, a bit strange…

No doubt, in times gone by, the nobility exploited these superstitions to frighten the local peasantry and keep them in line. Most of them just seem absurd nowadays.

Local food

I sample a little of the local food before cycling back to Brasov. It’s pretty yummy.

Apart from that, I’ve just been resting. The apartment, although nice and central, isn’t very well ventilated and my Garmin tells me my sleep ain’t that great.

Went for German meal for dinner. It was paprika chicken and German noodles plus 2 beers.

Superb £16. So, half the price of the previous night.

Today, I’ll be moving on toward the Transylvanian range to see some more sights in the mountains.

Until then.