Dracula is probably Romania’s most famous trademark and very few people know that in the 15th century, a cruel, but righteous prince named Dracula used to rule over these parts of Europe. Bram Stocker’s famous fantasy novel was partially inspired by the historic figure of Vlad the Impaler, but there is much more to it than what the novel is saying…
Departing from Bucharest in the morning, we will drive on the highway to the industrial city of Piteşti and then continue our journey to Curtea de Argeş. This was the birth place of Wallachia and used to be capital city of this province for many years. This is the reason why,one can still visit the ruins of the princely residence, where Vlad’s ancestors lived and managed to build an impressive Byzantine church. Not very far from here, we will visit the monastery of Curtea de Argeş, a splendid mix of Moorish and Balkan architectonic styles, where, legend has it, a human sacrifice was needed to complete the church.
From here, we will drive on the Transfăgărăşan mountain road, one of the world’s most spectacular driveways, to reach the ruins of Poienari fortress. It was there that, according to the local tradition, Prince Vlad managed to escape a trap set by a couple of his noblemen. After regaining power, he forced them to build a fortress up on the highest peak of the mountains, not allowing them to use any horse power and forcing them to carry the rocks only with their bare hands… This is actually the real castle of Prince Vlad, also known as Dracula…
Legend also has it, that the people who helped Dracula escape were gifted big territories in the mountains, to graze their sheep. This is how the village of Arefu was built, the place where we are going to witness “The night of Vlad the Impaler – Dracula” show.In the evening we will return to Bucharest.
