When you think of Transylvania you first think, didn’t Disney make that place up?
No, Disney did not!
Actually, it is an area of Romania in Eastern Europe and is synonymous with the rule of Vlad the Impaler.
Yes, Vlad the Impaler was also a real person. However the story books have often changed him into something else “Dracula” – and even “Count Dracula”! Yes, both refer to Vlad!
So, Vlad did some terrible things, namely, he impaled enemy soldiers up the bum with sticks and then left them to die a pretty horrific and gruesome death…
Bran Castle:
Anyway, in Transylvania there are a few pretty sweet castles! However the one most famed is the one that Vlad supposedly lived in – Bran. It is very dark and sinister looking while also being beautiful.
Bran Castle is in the lovely little town of Bran, a 30 minute drive from Brasov. Having been able to see this castle, You can begin to get the vibe of what kind of place it might have been during Vlad’s time, though since it is quite a magical town, I found it hard to believe anything sinister could have ever gone on there!
Rasnov Fortress:
Nearby to Bran, towards Brasov, is a Fortress called Rasnov. Rasnov is set up high on top of a mountain and acts as a look out from the medieval time period. And yes – it has it’s very own Hollywood sign!
The Hunk and I spent a lot of time at Rasnov exploring all of the ruins, where we even had a revaluation from the Hunk…
I understand now why it is called a ‘Ruin’… Cos it is ruined!
Yes ladies and gentleman, the man I have chosen to spend my days with never knew what the meaning of ruin was…
In any case – Rasnov is awesome! Put it up high on your list of musts for the Transylvania region cos it was thoroughly interesting and we had a blast!
Peles Castle:
I’ll end this post with the Cinderella-like castle of Peles. We could have spent all day here. With the most gorgeous setting ever, this castle pops out from behind the trees and truly takes your breath away!
The walk to the castle was quite long and so after a sneaky pee in the cafe up on the hill (where we left without buying anything!) we meandered around the castle where I excitedly marveled at every single detail. The giant-ness, the colour, the wooden details, the statues, the gardens, the amount of tourists everywhere…!
As this is the closest castle to Bucharest, Romania’s capital, this place felt heaving with tourists. We decided not to bother checking out the inside where the line was far too long, and instead opted for a street vendor corn and wandered the pathway of souvenirs.
Another beautiful gem and somewhere Hunk enjoyed, though I think he more enjoyed my excitement than the castle itself!
Romania was truly a hidden gem for us. We had never really put much thought into this destination but when the opportunity arose, we took the bull by the horns and saw as much as possible in our 5 days and day full of castles was pretty fantastic!
Have you visited these castles or others around the world? I’m a castle fiend so give me some more to go to!
Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
