The history of Bran Castle dates back to the end of the 14th century, when the local population began the construction of a defensive structure at their own expense. This can be seen today, and not only by its facade and appearance, but also if you look at the layout: for example, it is for defensive reasons that the halls and corridors of the castle are combined into an intricate labyrinth so that it would be almost impossible for a stranger, for example, an invader get out. The colossal work and huge funds that the locals invested in their security paid off for them on the part of the state - they were exempted from paying duties for several centuries to come.
The centuries-old history of Bran Castle is distinguished by a large number of owners. Moreover, for some time, after the proclamation of Greater Romania, it even became a royal residence. However, most of all in the world he is associated with Count Dracula. But in reality, Vlad Tepes - the historical prototype of Count Dracula - never lived there permanently, but only sometimes spent the night during hikes. The reason for this choice of location associated with the cruel Wallachian prince is due to the fact that he is quite remarkable in appearance and liked the author of the famous novel about this man, Bram Stoker. And a little later, fans of his work noticed that it was Bran Castle that was strikingly similar to the one that was described in detail in the novel.
Today, Bran Castle is a valuable monument of the art and history of medieval Romania and bears the title of a museum. For the same reason, films related to Count Dracula are often shot in it. Actually, this is not surprising, because Bran is a typical medieval castle, which is also shrouded in an aura of mystery. For example, the dungeon is a whole system of intricate labyrinths and passages. And at the gates of the palace there is a stone cross with a carved snake, which curled up into a ring - a symbol of the knightly order of the Dragon, and one of its members was Vlad II Draco, the father of Count Dracula himself.
Among other notable things for a medieval castle in Bran, you can find dungeons with prison cells and a torture chamber, bedrooms with authentic furniture and a well in the middle of the courtyard. Moreover, some mystical legend is necessarily associated with most of these places, which refers to the famous Wallachian prince. Today, Dracula's castle is one of the most famous points on the tourist map of Romania and popularizes not only the story of Vlad the Impaler, but also the general spirit of the dark and mysterious Middle Ages.