Lands of Dracula

Transylvania is rich in castles, and they’re all worth a visit. Although there is just one castle that can call itself the Castle of Dracula, all of the mysterious medieval buildings in Transylvania will be a thrilling source of inspiration for anyone who is more than interested in the mystified history of the Transylvanian region, and the legend of Count Dracula.

Corvin Castle, Hunedoara

This is a funny place to put a castle. Bristling with chimneys and the other paraphernalia of industry, Hunedoara exemplifies Romania’s communist era, its drab Stalinist architecture typically squat, square and depressing even amidst the rolling Transylvanian hills that surround it. To your left is a disused steel plant; to your right is a power station. Lovely.

Yet, rising above it all, perched on a hilltop is Corvin Castle, its gothic spires in brash imitation of the fairytale towers that greets you at the opening of a Disney cartoon (itself based on Neuschwanstein in Germany). It’s got everything – the conical turrets, the high battlements, the stained glass windows, even a drawbridge for goodness’ sake.

Built during the 14th century at a time of Hungarian rule, the castle walls were reputedly hewn from 30 metres of rock by bands of unfortunate Turkish prisoners. Inside, conscious of the need for aesthetics as well as military functionality, the castle is in a class of its own. Echoing with the melodies of a busking glockenspiel player, the first floor Diet Hall is propped up by a ribbed vaulted ceiling. Faded portraits of the castle’s former denizens are just discernable on what little of the original plaster remains. Elsewhere, the building hosts an intimidating display of mediaeval weapons and armour; look out too for an unusual stained glass window resembling the form of a Chinese Ying-Yang symbol.

Sighisoara

Filled with the flaking ambience of times gone by, Sighisoara is one of Romania’s premier tourist draws. And no wonder. If you’ve ever wondered what life might have been like in the rest of Europe during the Tudor era, look no further than here.

Entering the old citadel through the clock tower that commands the rest of the township below, and you immediately find yourself besides the house where Vlad Tepes, yes, Dracula, was born. Ascending the stairs you can take a look at the workings of the clock itself, which has been ringing out the hour for centuries accompanied by a set of puppets symbolising the passing days and seasons. The summit commands views over the settlement as a whole (with markers pointing directions and distances to major world cities, should you be interested). Below are a couple of grisly museums of weapons and torture, like wannabe London Dungeons complete with the thumbscrews and iron maiden.

Surrounded by the bastions of five ‘guild towers’, there’s much else to wander around in Sighisoara. There’s an odd roofed wooden staircase leading up to the highest point, upon which is found the Lutheran church that dated originally from 1345.

Rasnov Fortress

A bit of a climb to the top, this walled citadel looks over Transylvanian hills cloaked by tongues of mist. Though the entrance area is done up much as it would have looked centuries ago, complete with a horse cart parked up by the tavern, the rest of the fortress has a distinctly unfinished look. It is indeed in the throes of restoration and teams of workmen scurry around with wheelbarrows and planks much as they might have done while the place was first under construction.

More a village than a castle, Rasnov was put up here as a bolthole for the townsfolk to retreat to in times of crisis. Watch your footing – the mud and rubble add to the authentic feel, and be careful of a few rather tricky wooden steps and ladders.

Castle Bran

Mr Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler, erstwhile inspiration for Dracula, doesn’t even get a mention here. Which is strange considering that Bran’s entire tourist industry is based on the Dracula connection (Vlad Tepes stayed here only briefly, in fact, on the run from those pesky Turks: his real abode was Poienari in Wallachia). Sat right on top of a high vantage point overlooking the town, past the charms of the exterior the inside of the castle is surprisingly barren, almost sterile. Only a few items of wooden furniture belonging to the short-lived Romanian royal family (an offshoot of the Hohenzollern dynasty) remain, such as an elaborately decorated four-poster bed. On the other hand, the secret staircase that cuts through the fortifications is rather fun.

Below is where the action is at. Prepare to marvel at the range of tacky horror-show tat on offer, from miniature Castle Brans to ‘Somebody in Transylvania Loves Me’ T-shirts and plastic skeletons that scream and flash when you go near them. The stallholders are the only bloodsuckers here; considering all he’s done for Romania’s tourist industry, Dracula’s creator Bram Stoker should be named a national hero.

Castle Peles

At best it can be described as ostentatious; some might think it gaudy or even vulgar. The grand folly of the Hohenzollern kings who reigned briefly over Romania while the rest of Europe readied itself for total war, Peles’s lavish interior rivals only Versailles in terms of sheer ornate magnificence.

Taking 40 years to build, it was inhabited for just 30 yet in that time the royal family stuffed the castle so full of art and artefacts it’s a wonder it doesn’t burst. In the anterooms to the entrance hall alone are displayed over 500 swords and other weapons from King Carol’s personal collection. At the centre of the Queen’s literary salon is a set of furniture so ornate it took a family of Indians three generations to complete. And that’s before you even step inside the grandiose interiors of the Moroccan and Turkish rooms, decked out from floor to ceiling in ethic décor.

In stark contrast with this pretentious extravagance, right beside the main building is Pelisor, a home built for the English-born Queen Marie in disgusted protest at the extremity of Peles. More like a modern stately home, Pelisor is a showcase of art deco style, with posters from the era on every wall and Tiffany and Faberge ornaments abound. There again, a nod is tipped to the grandeur next door in the shape of the ‘gold room’, covered in thistles, Celtic crosses and love knots all in, you’ve guessed it, gold.

Written by Philip Sen, journalist. www.philip-sen.com