Dracula: History and Myth

Posts Tagged: transylvania

A multi-lingual sign about Castle Poenari

I just found this old photo I took of a large sign at the base of the mountain atop which Castle Poenari is situated. I’ve zoomed in and cropped out the English language portions, and also the map of the region, which may be useful if you’re planning to visit the area. Please see my articles about my visit to Castle Poenari, as well as my article about getting to Poenari. Here are just the…Continue Reading →

My cemetery photos from Sighișoara, Romania

Here are some more cemetery pics from my first big trip across Transylvania, in October 2005. Sighișoara is the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș, aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula; see my recent posts about Dracula’s childhood home and the bust of him nearby. Sighișoara is a beautiful medieval town, much of which is situated within a 12th-century citadel. More pics of that coming soon. The first group of photos are tombstones that are scattered around…Continue Reading →

More photos from Brașov, Romania: wandering and sightseeing

These first few are the wonderful view from the balcony of my hostel. Transylvania really is gorgeous. Yes, Brașov really does have a Hollywood-style “Brașov” sign up on a mountain. Good job shoring up that wall! Shame about the rest of the house. I hiked up the mountain with the “Brașov” sign; this is the beginning of the trail, but it soon got a lot more rugged. At the top I found out there was…Continue Reading →

My cemetery photos from Brașov, Romania

These pics are from my first big trip across Transylvania, in October 2005. Most of these are from the cemetery at Biserica Sfântul Nicolae (St. Nicholas Church), a gorgeous 14th-century church in the old town area of Brașov. These last two pics are from another, more modern cemetery, the name of which I could not find. I took these photos from the street called Șirul Plăieșilor. This was on the wall outside the cemetery; definitely…Continue Reading →

Vlad the Impaler’s childhood home in Sighișoara, Romania

These pictures are from my trip to Sighișoara, Romania in 2006. During this whole big trip across Transylvania I wanted to visit as many Dracula-related spots as I could. I’d heard that Vlad’s birthplace had been turned into a touristy restaurant, and as I approached it was immediately clear this was correct! One small regret I have from this trip is that, as I was backpacking and hitchhiking and traveling with very little money, I…Continue Reading →

Bust of Vlad Țepeș in Sighișoara

Bust of Vlad Țepeș, aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula, in Sighișoara, Romania. This bust is situated across from the house where Vlad Țepeș was born in 1431. The house is now a restaurant. I took this photo in 2005; many more pics and stories from that trip coming soon…

See Castlevania First

I love this parody Castlevania poster by ninjaink on deviantART: Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Transylvania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia is sometimes referred to as Muntenia (Greater Wallachia), through identification with the larger of its two traditional sections; the smaller being Oltenia (Lesser Wallachia). It is known as being the home of Castlevania, the ancestral castle of Count Vlad Dracula,…Continue Reading →

A map of Castle Poenari

This metal sign is near the castle, but I somehow didn’t notice it during my visit. A lady who’d contacted me with some questions before her own trip to Poenari took this photo and shared it with me when she got back. I did my best to translate the Romanian with Google Translate and Wikipedia, but there are definitely some things that could use some clarification; please feel free to send me corrections if you’re…Continue Reading →