The Truth about Bran Castle a.k.a. Dracula's Castle

(All information correct as of June 2026)

When I was enquiring about Bran Castle, a staff at the hostel in Brasov, Christie shared that she hears different feedback about the infamous castle.

"Either you like it, or you hate it; it really depends on the individual," she said. 

I was even more intrigued and at the same time told myself to keep an open mind.

So on a bright and beautiful morning, I walked from Brasov Old Town to Autogara 2 Transbus Codreanu to take the public bus to Bran Castle.

The bus from Autogara 2 Transbus Codreanu to Bran Castle goes by the hour. The distance is around 27km and the journey is about 45 minutes. 

When we reached the drop off point, the driver announced that the bus had arrived at Bran Castle so that passengers could get off. The castle is about 200 meters from the bus stop. 

This is the entrance to Bran Castle from the main road where the bus dropped off passengers.

From the main entrance into the castle grounds, it's a short but relatively steep climb to reach the castle.

Now let's get into a brief history of Bran Castle.

In 1377, King Louis I of Hungary had authorized Transylvanian Saxons to build the castle as a fortress against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. The castle was completed in 1388 and over the years was under the rule of various figures.

In 1920, Bran Castle became the royal summer residence of Queen Marie of Greater Romania who had six children. Her favourite daughter, Princess Ileana was the last member of the royal family who lived in the castle before totalitarian Communist regime seized the country in 1948 and the royal family were exiled from Romania.

Statue of Queen Marie in one of the open spaces outside Bran Castle.

Here are a few random photos of the interiors of Bran Castle as an abode of Queen Marie and her family:

Queen Marie's abode.

A random book corner at Bran Castle.

A random door at Bran Castle.

Now let's get into the story of why Bran Castle became known as Dracula's Castle. 

Dracula is a fictional character from writer, Bram Stroker's 1897 horror novel, Dracula. It is believe that certain aspects of Dracula's character was inspired by the 15th Century Wallachian Prince, Vlad III also known as Vlad the Impaler, who's nickname was Dracula meaning 'son of Dracul' derived from the Latin draco ('dragon') after his father's induction into the Order of Dragons created by the Roman Emperor Sigismund. 

In his novel, Bram Stroker used Bran Castle in Romania as the dwelling place of Dracula and it captured the imagination of fans. Over the years people began associating Dracula with Bran Castle until it became known as Dracula's Castle.

Bran Castle is also known as Dracula's Castle.

As visitors are more interested in Dracula than in Queen Marie, the country knows that Bran Castle is a cash cow that has the potential to draw visitors from around the world.

So they give visitors exactly what they come to Bran Castle for. Certain parts of the castle have been converted into dark, spooky spaces complete with props and eerie sound effects that probably stays in your mind long after you leave.

I didn't take many photos as the rooms were dark and produced blurred photos.

There are digital screens about different types of Romanian supernatural beings like the lele, solomonari and santoaderii.

Visiting Bran Castle would not be complete if they didn't honour it's star with a room of his own ... 

I tried opening Dracula's casket but it was tightly shut.

Vlad the Impaler welcomes visitors to the Torture Chambers.

If you're a history buff visiting Bran Castle to learn about its history, the castle displays minimal history about Queen Marie and her family. 

But if you're visiting it for its spookiness and association with Dracula, you may come away entertained. 

Personally, I felt a bit cheated because the experience is like visiting a haunted house in an amusement park. The focus of Bran Castle is clearly on Count Dracula because that is where the interest (and the cash!) lies. 

So now you know what lies within Bran Castle a.k.a. Dracula's Castle.

Souvenir shop at the base of Bran Castle.