Castle Bran

Soon we were headed to the most well known castle in Romania, Bran Castle or Dracula's castle. The Carpathians form a horseshoe and are the first real barrier to Europe from Asia. In this area they are called the Romanian Alps because they are so treacherous. As the marauding hordes of Mongols and Huns moved east, this area is the first line of defense and so many of the monasteries and castles are placed strategically to defend the rest of Europe. It has been a fierce battleground quite a few times in its history. The Romans of Julius Caesar fame conquered the area in 102 ACE and made it a vacation destination. Since then (and probably before) this area has been fought over for both its rich resources and its strategic defenses. In 1377, this fortress was built by the people of Brasov under orders of King Ludovic I of Anjou to guard the Bran Pass. The castle was built for defense from the north and the south. From either direction, the castle sits atop a high rocky crag. was given a domain of thirteen settlements by the Hungarian royalty to raise income for the castle's upkeep. It has passed through Wallachian hands and even the King of Luxembourg once owned it. In 1835, it became a customs house and collected a 3.3% tax on merchants for all goods traveling through the pass. Finally in 1920, the castle was gien to Queen Mary of Romania who then retored the castle to its present condition. It was a summer residence for the royal family although the king was only in residence once as apparently the queen used it for her many trysts.

These mountains are imposing after the flatlands to the east. They rise up quickly into rocky crags, stopping travelers in their tracks. Even with modern cars and buses, this pass is not easy to negotiate. The road winds back and forth through the narrow valley leading to the pass. When it reaches the slope, it becomes more dramatic with hairpin turns and no guard rails to hold you onto the mountain side. There is still much passing of vehicles as we wend our way to the castle.

It is difficult to avoid the castle when traveling into or out of Transilvania.

The stories about pouring hot oil on invaders are apparently not only true but the mechanism has been elaborately engineered in this castle. At the top of the castle on the north side are giant spouts for just this. The hot oil was probably heated in huge metal cauldrons right here on the upper level of the castle. When it was bubbling and boiling it was poured into this giant chute which spewed the hot oil onto the tops of the trees onto the heads of any invaders. There are several of these chutes jutting out from the castle wall that would have effectively shielded the entire northern face of the castle.

On the south side is an interesting set of windows that are designed specifically for archers. A huge block of wood pivots open for two archers to shoot from either side. It could be closed to ward off a barrage of incoming arrows. Some lowly page had the job of retrieving arrows from the outer side of this window. Hollywood has depicted this part of history quite well, but there are plenty of other historical inaccuracies that we can thank Hollywood for, that are associated with this castle.

On the floor below are more windows that are built with defense in mind. They are tall thin openings in the wall in small triangular-shaped alcoves. It is easy to see out over the entire landscape by moving from side to side in the alcove, but an archer outside can only send an arrow straight into the alcove, leaving a large area safe to stand in to watch the proceedings or to aim precisely at a target.

It seems that in the 30s when the first horror films were being made, Bram Stoker's Dracula rose to the top of the list. The producers had the brilliant idea to come to Romania to use the very castle that Dracula had lived in. That castle is small and drab – certainly not the stuff that movies are made of. While driving throughout the countryside looking for a suitable castle, they found Castle Bran. As soon as they saw it, they began negotiations. From the viewpoint of Hollywood it had all the elements of a spooky castle. It was remote castle on a craggy pass with a foreboding appearance. It loomed over the surrounding countryside. Exactly what it had been built for in terms of defense several hundred years ago is what made it the perfect Dracula castle again for the movies in the 30s.

As you look over the ramparts of the castle, you can still see the original city walls and one of the towers. These were the first line of defense for anyone foolish enough to attack this castle. This is also the perfect location for collecting taxes from those traveling south out of Transilvania. To the south, there is another similar tower where taxes were collected from those traveling north. The prince of the castle was a rich man.

The castle was often under attack because it was in such a strategic location.

The views from the castle are spectacular. It is easy to imagine hordes of Mongols galloping along the riverside stopping in their tracks at the sight of the ominous castle sitting astride the pass.

Upon entering the castle, the parlor is an interesting room. An enclosed seating area takes center stage. The floor has some beautiful carpets, but the one that caught my eye was the bear. He looks a bit bedraggled but as if he put up quite a fight. Only 5, 999 more bears in the Carpathians.

From below the castle has many interesting twists and turns. It is certainly a maze inside. Staircases leading up and down are at every turn. It is much like a rabbit warren. Looking into the courtyard from above you can see the well that is not a well at all, but an escape tunnel into the neighboring mountain. The rope that appears to hold the bucket is actually the means of access. Serfs in this time had an awful time. I imagine they are the ones who had to dig the tunnel.

Finally, as we leave, I found this grave marker just beyond the castle walls. It has the dragon of Dracul emblazoned upon it as well as all sorts of writing that is indecipherable to me. In his lifetime, Dracul, the father, was recognized as a great protector of the Christian faith. The reputation that he has garnered from Hollywood is not at all who he was.