Location: Transylvania, Romania | Dracula’s Castle in Bran | Town of Brasov

Halloween is quickly approaching and what better way to celebrate than with a spooky trip to Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania?

We took the trip for Halloween and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Dracula’s Castle looked as eerie as it sounds, and they throw a huge Halloween party every year!

Where exactly is Dracula’s Castle?  It’s located in Bran, Romania which is in the Carpathian Mountains.  The greater region is referred to as Transylvania.  Although it’s commonly known as Dracula’s Castle, the actual name is Bran Castle.  The author Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is what made the castle famous to foreigners, and his vampire character Dracula was based off of the real life Vlad Dracula, or ‘Vlad the Impaler’, the nickname he earned from his favorite method to get rid of his enemies during the medieval 1400s.  He was also referred to as a ‘bloodthirsty madman’ during an imprisonment.

Scary stuff, right?  During his lifetime and for centuries after, the terrifying stories of Count Dracula became legendary.  It’s no wonder Dracula’s Castle throws arguably the best Halloween party in the world!  Things are always better at the source, right?

Now on to the Halloween party!  Vlad the Impaler hosts at the Castle with lots of fun surprises throughout the self-paced castle tour (black vodka, anyone?).  He has some things to say at the entrance and courtyard, and he may even pop in to visit you… or is that him trying to cut off my head 😉 ?

The castle has lots of nooks and crannies to explore.

There’s even some gory medieval torture methods that the boys will love…

Just be aware, Halloween at the Castle may turn your friends into vampires themselves!

You are free to tour the castle and grounds as you wish, which I really enjoyed.  I personally am not one for guided mass tours so this was perfect.  Explore to your heart’s desire!  When you’ve had enough castle fun, there’s an after party in a tent below.  We purchased tickets for the party and I honestly didn’t have high expectations going in to it.  This was a sponsored party and that means it couldn’t be that much fun, right?  Well, I was so wrong!  They had a really good DJ playing house music with some Thriller-type songs mixed in.  We had a blast and stayed all night!

Bran itself is tiny (and a little bit spooky! 😉 ) but there is a really nice town, Brasov about 30 minutes away.  We flew in to Bucharest, stayed a few days there, rented a car and drove to Brasov.  We then stayed Halloween night at a local guest house near the castle.

If you go to the Castle, make sure to enjoy Brasov as well!  The town is so quaint.

 

Get there: 

Fly in to Bucharest, Romania.  Explore Romania’s capital city for a day or two, then drive to Brasov, just under a 3 hour drive.  Stay in Brasov for a night (see below) and then head to the Castle Bran for a spooky fun night.

Stay: 

One of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed at is in Brasov Romania believe it or not.  If you’re in the area, you have to stay at the Kronwell.  It is modern luxury for a fraction of the price by Western standards.  Tip: If you split a room, make sure it’s with someone you fancy.  The shower is all glass and connects the bedroom to the bathroom! 🙂 I think the bed may be a double king, and could comfortably fit a family of six (or more)! It was the largest bed I have ever slept in.

Know:

If you love a good Halloween costume, dress up!  They have a costume contest with prize money.  Dracula’s Castle hosts the Halloween party every year, so if you miss this year, put it on your list for the next one.

Do you travel based on seasons or occasions?  Transylvania was the perfect Halloween treat!