|
BRAN CASTLE, situated at 30 Km from Brasov, between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains, it is an important national monument of the Romanian tourism Bran Castle was built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in 1212. By the late 1300’s the castle had been overtaken by the Saxons who had used the castle to protect Brasov, an important trade center. In 1370 the fortress was used against invading Turks. It remained an important feudal fortress through out the middle ages, its role was the defence against invasions.
Vlad Tepes used Bran Castle as residence for his incursions into
Transylvania. He was the son of Vlad Dracul and the grandson of Mircea the
Great, king of Wallachia. Tepes adopted a totalitarian leadership. His
cruelty reached Germany, Eastern Europe, where Vlad Tepes became known as
a bloody tyrant. The Irish writer Bram Stoker decided to make Tepes his
character in his novel called "Dracula". He read some books
about Transylvania (a name of latin origin meaning "the country
beyond the forests"). In fact, Stoker used Vlad only as a sourse of
inspiration, since in his novel Dracula is not prince Vlad the Impaler,
but a Transylvanian count living in a mysterious castle where he killed
his victims. Legend and true history about Dracula mix and are being kept
alive by tourist destinations like the Monastery of Snagov near Bucharest,
or Bran Castle near Brasov. |
Castelul BRAN |
|
Contele DRACULA |
