Bran Castle; It is located close to the Romanian city of Braşov and is famous worldwide. It is famous because the novel “Dracula” by author Bram Stoker has been adapted to the cinema many times. The castle is known as “Dracula’s Castle” because of the author’s fictional character Dracula. This castle is the place where Vlad Tepeş, also known as Vlad the Impaler, who ruled the region in the 15th century, lived. Impaler Voyvoda who grew up in the Ottoman Empire; He inflicted terrible torture on the people of the region and the Ottoman soldiers. He is the representative of the savagery, which received the title of “the impaler” because of the torture he inflicted on tens of thousands of people. Bran Castle has become an important part of popular culture and Romanian tourism over time, as it is the place where Voivode the Impaler lived.
Author Bram Stocker has never been to Romania, but there are hints in his novel that he was inspired by the castle. The character of Dracula in the novel written by Bran Castle with his photographs and stories is Vlad Tepeş. Dracula character; kills lawbreakers and uses brutal methods. Today, legends are told in Bran Town, a mixture of true stories and mythological stories. Poenari Castle and Corvin Castle, which are among other Romanian castles, are also related to the Dracula legend. Tourists visiting Bran Castle can buy souvenirs related to vampires.
Located between the borders of the Principality of Erdel and Wallachia, the castle was built for defense against the Ottomans. The castle has a fairy-tale appearance with its visuality and natural beauty. However, from a historical perspective, the facts about the castle are not very encouraging. Today, Bran Castle serves as a museum open to tourists. The museum displays furniture and art collected by Queen Marie. Tourists can tour the castle with a guide or on their own. Below the castle hill is an open-air museum displaying traditional Romanian peasant buildings.
History of Bran Castle
Bran Castle is located at the top of a green valley in Transylvania, Romania. The castle has a history that goes back to the 13th century. The Teutonic Knights living in the region built a wooden castle in this region located on the trade routes. Thus, in 1212, the foundations of Bran Castle were laid at the entrance to the mountain valley in Burzenland. However, this wooden castle was destroyed by the Mongols who invaded the region in 1242. The information that a new building named Bran Castle was built in 1377, after more than a century that has passed, is seen in historical documents. It is seen in the documents that Louis I gave permission to the Braşov Saxons to build a stone castle. This new castle was made of stone material and is still standing today.
Bran Castle was built as a stone castle by the Braşov Saxons in the 14th century. It was defended against the Ottoman Empire between 1438 and 1442. The castle came under Ottoman rule after 1442. Bran Castle was used as the residence of the local administrator of the Ottoman Empire until Wallachia and Moldavia were united and separated from the empire under the name of Romania. Bran Castle changed hands between the Hungarians and Turks between the 15th and 16th centuries. Bran Castle belonged to the Hungarian Kingdom, but since it did not pay its debt to King Wladyslaw, its administration passed to the city of Braşov in 1533. Later, it became the administrative center of the Wallachian Bey of the Ottoman Empire for a while. One of these lords, known as the Wallachian Bey of the Ottoman Empire, is Vlad Tepeş. In the middle of the 18th century, Bran Castle assumed a strategic role militarily. Due to the events that took place during the reign of Vlad Tepes, Bran Castle still has a worldwide reputation.
Bran Castle became the official residence of the Kingdom of Romania in 1920. This castle was Queen Marie’s favorite residence and her retreat. Later, the castle was inherited by his daughter, Princess Ileana. It was captured during the expulsion of the royal family by the communist regime in 1948. In 2005, the Romanian government passed a special law on the return of property seized by force. Thanks to this law, Bran Castle was given to Princess Ileana’s son and heir Dominic von Habsburg a year later. The Habsburg family opened the renovated castle to the public in 2009, making it the country’s first private museum. For detailed article on Vlad the Impaler CLICK HERE.
