Prices Visiting the Bran castle 2008
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Adults
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schoolchilidren, students, military, pesioners
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foto camera
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camera video
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professional filming outside
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professional filming inside
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12 lei pers
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6 lei/pers
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10 lei pers
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18 lei
pers
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750 lei/hour
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1500 lei/hour
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Viziting programme: MONDAY - 1200 - 1800 DAILY - 0900 - 1800
The Bran fortress was built on a cliff between Magura and The Hill of the Fortress, its position conferring an outstanding view towards both the hills of Moeciu and the ones from the Land of Bârsa.
Dracula- Historical and mythological interference
Dracula - as perceived and promoted in tourist brochures today - is the result of legendary yet, genuine historical facts of Vlad the Impaler's reign, as recounted by revisionist historians, interspersed and dramatically accentuated by the Irishman Bram Stoker's 1897 fictional character, Dracula.
The truth about Wallachia's ruler, Vlad the Impaler (1456-1462, 1476) is known from countless academic papers written by both Romanian and foreign historiographers. Brave and fair, benevolent with decent people while ruthless with lawbreakers, Vlad the Impaler is convinced that only strong leadership can maintain internal order and thus allow him to mount a strong defence against external peril. This vision is admirably encompassed in his letter to the people of Brasov, on the 10th of September 1456. In it he says: "When a man or lord is strong and powerful he can make peace whichever way he wishes yet, when he is weak, someone stronger will come onto him and submit him to his mercy."1
Thus, Vlad the Impaler resorts to an authoritarian style of leadership by imposing honesty and hard work as virtues to be had; dishonesty (thievery) and sloth were punished harshly by impaling - a practice which was to make him infamous. Every single one of those who chose not to observe the laws or the freedom of the country - regardless of whether they were Transylvanian traders, Turkish soldiers or local landowners (boyars) - would receive this punishment if they were found guilty of any such crimes. Such abominable punishment can be understood in the context of the times when punishments such as crucifixion, or being burnt at the stake were an all too common occurrence.
Thus, the Bran castle - better known as Dracula's Castle - is one of the most valuable architectural monuments that also had precise military and economic functions - which are extensively presented by the scholar Ioan Prahoveanu in his work, The Bran Castle. The link made by the vampire-seeking tourist between this castle and King Vlad the Impaler owes a lot to the fact that the Castle of Bran was situated on the Bran Pass, which separated Saxon of Transylvania traders from the Wallachian trade fairs where they could sell their goods. Stories of cruel punishments applied to smugglers abound hence the relationship with the Castle of Bran officials may have been a little strained at times.
