Halloween is almost there, and we cannot ignore the trend. It may not necessarily be a tradition to celebrate Halloween in this part of the world, but Eastern Europe has its fair share of spooky places. So if you want an unconventional scary Halloween, check out what we have to recommend. We’ll be following up with a different spooky destination each day, and what better start than Transylvania?
Transylvania – that place chosen by Bram Stoker as the homeland of the world’s most famous vampire, Count Dracula. Between reality and legend, Transylvania is yet a place of stunning beauty, with rolling hills and wild mountains, with friendly people ready to welcome you any time.
The land is already covered in snow – not yet the great snows of the winter, but the first signs that the frozen season is near. The scenery puts Twilight to shame: eerie landscapes stretch all around, sparkling under white powder, while in the distance, the wolves begin their macabre incantations. It’s time for the children of the night. Where will you find sanctuary?
Or are you in for the thrill? Then you will have to begin the journey where it all begun, before you end up at Bran, where Bram Stoker placed the imaginary home of Dracula. But first, something all Dracula fans already know: the blood-thirsty vampire was inspired by a true, living, character: Vlad Ţepeș (Vlad III the Impaler), Prince of Wallachia. Then why Transylvania, you will probably ask. Because that’s where he was born. So why don’t you stop here first?
Vlad Dracul’s House is today a restaurant and museum. You’ll find it in Sighisoara, on str. Cositorilor, nr. 5. The restaurant, with interior terrace, serves up traditional local cuisine, paired with local wines – some called “Vinul Vampir” (the Vampire wine), just to satisfy “blood thirsty” tourists. Although now designed around the legend of Dracula (they even have a “Dracula soup”, the restaurant still manages to keep some authentic flavors, and the prices are not over board.
At the first floor of the house you’ll find The Weapons Collection – a display of Medieval weapons used in and around the town throughout the ages. For restaurant guests, the tour of the house is included in the price of the menu.
The good thing about visiting the native home of Vlad Ţepeș is Sighisoara itself. A small medieval fortified city, Sighisoara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic citadel is inhabited, and features numerous worthwhile attractions, like The Clock Tower (“Turnul cu Ceas”) – don’t miss the view from the top; Monastery Church (“Biserica Mânăstirii”) right near the tower; then take the Covered Staircase (“Scara Şcolarilor”) up to the Church on the Hill (“Biserica din Deal”). And as you continue your journey towards Bran, stop quickly for holy water about 30 km away from Sighisoara, at the fortified church of Biertan, another UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. With renewed forces, drive south, towards Brașov, or Kronstadt, as the Germans call it. That’s where you’ll find Bran Castle, the imagined home of Count Dracula. It’s a two hours drive through glorious Carpathian landscape.
Bran is 30 km from the city of Braşov, and despite a whole industry developed around the legend of the blood-thirsty Vampire, it still keeps some authentic elements, especially in the architecture of the farm houses and peasant homes of the village. Obviously, Bran is included in all “Dracula” tours in Transylvania.
From up far, the village looks sleepy and serene, but at the foothills of the castle, the “Vampire” industry is booming. There’s a small market, right in front of the castle, where you can buy all sorts of things. Connoisseurs get to browse through a pile of kitsch to find something authentic, traditional Romanian. Others leave with an expensive vampire artifact.
But up on the hill, after 1,500 steps yow have to climb to reach it, the Bran Castle still manages to transport you in a world of magic. Yes, it is full of tourists, but somehow, time stood still here. You’ll go through secret passages, you’ll climb to the top terrace to see the valley below, you’ll make a wish throwing a coin in the fountain at the heart of the courtyard. There are no traces of Dracula – he never lived in this castle – but instead, you will find Queen Marie’s wonder-world. Bran is a treasure trove of art and antiques.
If Bran Castle was never Dracula’s home, did you make the journey for nothing? Not really. At least you get a taste of Romanian tradition, especially if you visit the open air museum park at the bottom of the castle, which features traditional Romanian peasant homes from across the country.
If you still want to get spooked, continue your journey to Poenari Citadel, today in ruin, one of the real castles once inhabited by Vlad III the Impaler and his court. But keep in mind; you are no longer in Transylvania. You are now entering Wallachian territory, a place that can be as eerie as Bram Stoker’s vampire land… if not more. Oh, if these ruins could speak!
Poenari Citadel is only a two-hours and some from Bran, down south, north of Curtea de Arges, on a cliff, on the West side of the Transfăgărăşan road in Argeş County. To reach the citadel you will drive through a breathtaking mountain landscape, but if you make the journey now, be prepared for winter conditions, and keep in mind that the Transfăgărăşan may be closed.
Other than the stunning landscape around the ruins of the Citadel, there’s not much to see here. But head down to Arefu, a traditional village nearby, for more “Dracula” experiences. Even accommodation in the area is named to attract Dracula fans. Make a stop to eat at Hotel Pensiunea Dracula Transfagarasan, or at Restaurantul La Cetate, before heading down to Bucharest, where the party will continue with spooky restaurants and Gothic events.
Here, Club Dracula is a must. They have a masquerade on Halloween, awarding prizes for the best costume. Obviously, it is a popular event, so it’s probably too late for reservations for the Halloween Dinner. But take your chances for a walk-in. Till the break of dawn, when the spirits return Beyond, the Dj will play dance music mixed with frightful sounds.
If the club is full, take a local events guide and see what’s nearby. Most clubs have Halloween parties – the trend is getting strong in the Romanian capital. And if you want to tour Bucharest at night… the city can be quite creepy, but don’t venture to remote neighborhoods. Like any big metropolis, Bucharest tends to be unsafe.
Still in Bucharest, visit Curtea Veche (the Old Princely Court) – another residence of Vlad III Dracula – today a museum in the Historic Center of Bucharest. Don’t expect too much – the museum is sadly not well maintained, and rather hidden in the Lipscani area of the Old Center at the end of Str. Franceza. But near the museum you can visit the Old Court Church (also called the Old Princely Church), the oldest church in Bucharest.
The Lipscani area will give you a genuine taste of what Bucharest used to be like back in the day, when it was called the Little Paris. Bucharest was the first city in the world illuminated with lamp oil (1856), way ahead Vienna and other European capitals. Besides, the Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului also known asCasa Poporului) – world’s second largest building, after the Pentagon – is within easy rich from Lipscani. Just stroll down the old streets of Lipscani, Bucharest’s only still standing historic district, and you’ll see the imposing building when you walk from Universitate to Piata Unirii. From the outside, the Palace of Parliament may not be that appealing, but it’s the inner beauty that you shouldn’t miss.
No, the Palace of the Parliament doesn’t have anything to do with Dracula – it does, however, have a lot to do with another legendary figure: Nicolae Ceaușescu. For many Romanians, the former communist dictator, was a true vampire, metaphorically speaking “sucking the blood of the people.”
Aside the Romanian parliament, the palace also houses the National Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum and Park of Totalitarianism and Socialist Realism.
For Dracula fans, there’s one last stop before leaving Romania: drive 40 km north of Bucharest, to Snagov to visit the alleged grave of the Voivode Dracula.