The fairytale Bran fortress, perched high on the rocky bluff, has fired the imagination for centuries and is believed by the thousands of tourists who visit it today to be the bloody lair of Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for the infamous Count Dracula. History portrays Vlad more as the protector of Vallachia, but that does not prevent souvenir sellers from taking advantage of gullible tourists. The Bran castle is ominously shadowed by the Bucegi Mountains and the Piatra Craiului massif. There is a nice museum with historic artifacts inside the castle and there are numerous guided tours. The castle was originally built by the Teutonic Order in the 13th century, destroyed by Moguls in 1242, rebuilt in stone in 1377 and completely restored by Queen Marie in 1922. There are five picturesque villages in the surrounding hills as well as lovely hiking and climbing trails for those not afraid of bumping into some Vlad’s vampire relatives.

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Bucharest Alba Iulia Apuseni National Park Arad Bacau Baia Mare Baile Herculane Bran Brasov Bucegi Natural Park Cluj-Napoca Constanta Craiova Iasi Maramures Neamt County Oradea Pitesti Ploiesti Sibiu Targu Mures Timisoara Turda Vatra Dornei

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