Skip to main content

Staking out Dracula's castle in Romania

By Aaron Cooper, CNN
The ruins of Poienari Castle are just that -- ruins. This was Vlad Dracula's real home in the 1400s.
  • Ruins of Poienari Castle can be found in a rugged, isolated area of Romania
  • 15th-century leader Vlad Dracula lived here, and tourists are sparse
  • More tourists go to Bran Castle, which is intact but had little connection with Vlad

Brasov, Romania (CNN) -- The ruins of Poienari Castle sit high on a mountain peak with a seemingly never-ending vista looking out over deep gorges, charcoal-gray cliffs and mountain streams.

It's a natural paradise, but we did not make the trip to this castle just for the awesome view. Visitors come for its connection to history's most famous vampire, Dracula.

The famous book and the ensuing movies are fiction, but since Bram Stoker published his novel in 1897, the world has been looking to Transylvania (in modern central Romania) as "Count Dracula's" home.



Another museum explains the name "Dracula" is actually a title from the knightly order of the dragon, whose mission was to defend Christianity. Documents he signed "Vlad Dracula" still exist.


Visiting Dracula's castle

Poienari Castle is not on the main tourist route. In fact, it's pretty hard to get there.




Brasov, Romania, is on a major rail line and has connections to many European cities.

Bucharest, the capital, has the closest major international airport.

From Bucharest, it's a slightly more than three-hour trip to an Intercity train. The fare is less than 50 lei (about $17 U.S.)




Rigorous journey

The signs warn it is 1480 concrete steps straight up. I can't imagine an army hoping to take the castle. It's hard enough taking the modern stairs.



The structure was never huge, but now all that's left is ruined walls about one-story high. As you walk through the citadel, you can get a feel for how Vlad and his garrisons peered out over the valleys below looking for enemies.



Dracula a hero?

Most Romanians see Vlad as a bit of a hero, not the evil demon of "Count Dracula" fame.

As he drove us to Poienari, Daniel told us "He was our leader. ... He does not deserve this reputation."


In fact, one museum suggested Vlad is more of a Robin Hood character, "merciless with the rich ones that were violating the law, but at the same time, a reliable friend of the poor. For the peasants of Wallachia he was the national hero that served their cause."

Dracula's more convenient castle?


And that's what the touts outside are banking on. Before you even get to the gate, venders are lined up hawking T-shirts, "Vampire Wine" and Dracula-shaped coffee mugs.



This left one young tourist confused. She stopped me, asked whether I spoke English, and asked in all seriousness "Do you know where Dracula's bedroom is?"

Bran Castle is less than an hour outside of Brasov. It's on a main road, and the public bus is 8 lei (less than $3 U.S.) round trip. Entry is 20 lei (less than $7 U.S.).