Photograph of the week: Bran Castle, Romania

For many Bran Castle may be synonymous with “vampires” or “horror stories” but in reality is more of a beautiful medieval castle than a haunted place.

How did its association with Dracula come by then? We might attribute at least part of the reason to its location. Bran Castle is set in Transylvania region, Romania, close to the city of Brasov. It is perched on a dramatic hilltop above a valley and it is surrounded by a deep green forest, which gives it an air of mystery.

According to Bram Stoker’s book, his character, the vampire prince Dracula, lived in “a castle located high above a valley perched on a rock with a flowing river below”. The similarity between the fictional description and the reality is astonishing.

The other part of the reason is the Romanian ruler, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), who
supposedly was used by Bram Stoker as an inspiration for his book. Vlad the Impaler ruled the historical region of Wallachia in the…