The Castle Was First Mentioned in 1377; This Ticket Is Entry Only

Entry to Bran Castle, without a guide, which means the rooms are walked at whatever pace suits you.

The first written mention of the castle dates from 1377, and its fortifications, walls and red turrets have been there in some form ever since. It is the most visited attraction in Romania.

The Dracula connection is literary. Count Dracula is a character in a novel, and Bran is the only castle in Transylvania that actually matches the description Bram Stoker wrote. The interior, for what it is worth, is a good deal less sinister than the reputation: furnished rooms, narrow stairs, and a courtyard. Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure the name was borrowed from, is said to have been held in the dungeons here.