Bran and Râșnov – Two Castles in the Land of Dracul
A lone traveller approaches a forlorn castle, overlooking a pass, located deep in the mountains of Transylvania. Lightning strikes and the rain is coming down hard, the man/woman is drenched and weary. Seeking refuge the poor traveller makes his way up the ramp to the castle door. Little does he know his host is lying in wait, ready to consume his/her blood. This familiar story takes root though its physical incarnation, the menacing form of Bran Castle, the inspiration for the legend of Dracula. Come see to Romania and see why this castle captivated the imagination of Bram Stoker!
Table of Contents
Tips and Tricks
When visiting both these castles I would recommend staying overnight in the nearby city of Brasov and using it as a base to explore these two castles. Both castles are located nearby, just south east of the city, at the edge of the Carpathian Mountains.
Bran and Rasnov castles are some of the most renowned buildings in Romania. As such expect large crowds. You should prepare your itinerary and snacks for the day and leave early in the morning. I recommend visiting Bran castle first. It is the furthest away from Brasov and the most crowded – hence the earlier you can make it the better. Afterwards hit Rasnov Castle on your way back to Brasov. Although you may be tempted to only see Bran, make sure to see Rasnov as the view from the hilltop citadel is incredible.
Geography of the Castles
Both of the above mentioned castles, along with the city of Brasov, are part of the Burzenland, an ethnically mixed region of south east Transylvania. Due to its geographic position, a strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, it has benefited greatly from trade. Historically goods would make their way to Western and Northern Europe through narrow passes in the Carpathian mountains from Ottoman controlled Wallachia to the south. The castles were built to defend one of these passes, the Bran pass – blocking the road to Brasov for invading armies.
Bran Castle
History
This castle is often associated with the famous Count Dracula of the Bram Stoker novel, however its history stretches back much further.
The Teutonic Knights built a wooden fort called Dietrichstein in 1212, on the hill where the stone castle now stands. At the time, the crusading order (originating from the Holy Land) was granted holds in Eastern Transylvania by the Hungarian King. For more information on the order’s role in Transylvania read my post on Brasov, otherwise if you wish to learn about the order’s time outside of Transylvania read about the history of city of Acre, Marienburg (Malbork) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad).
The fort was destroyed in 1242 by an invading Tartar army (Tartars are also known as Mongols) and was not reoccupied until 1377. That year king Louis I of Hungary allowed the Transylvanian Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) to build a stone castle at their own expense. From 1438-1442 the castle held back the Turkish Ottoman Empire and ever since then, the castle has played a strategic role in defending the Carpathian frontier. In addition it briefly served as a toll and customs house for people coming into Hungary and later as a tollway to the Principality of Transylvania.
After the First World War, Transylvania passed over to the state of Romania. The Saxons in return sold the castle to the Romanian nobility. Queen Marie of Romania (wife of king Ferdinand I) restored the castle and turned it into a stately home. The castle was then inherited by one of my favourite Romanian royals Princess Ileana. This beautiful and very popular royal set up a field hospital for Romanian soldiers on the grounds of the hospital during the Second World War (she was so popular, that her incompetent and crazed father King Carol II had her married off to a foreign prince to get her out of the country).
In 1948, the communists forced the Romanian royals out of the country and confiscated the property. After the fall of communism it was reconstituted to the family and they found themselves once again stewards of the castle. Even without official titles in the new republic they have renovated the grounds and have operated it since. It was the first private history museum in Romania.
What to do in Bran?
When you approach the town of Bran, you will see many gift shops lining both sides of the road. From the look of things, it may seem that you are stuck in a tourist trap. While this may be true, the castle is totally worth a visit, so push your way through the crowd and make your way to the castle. In front of the building you will find a park called Parcu Ragal with wood carvings and much greenery. You will also find the Bran Village Museum, an ethnographic museum located next to the castle, hosted in a handful of wooden buildings. To the south-west of the castle, in a wooded area, you will find the Queen’s Heart, the location where Queen Marie’s heart is buried so she could be close to her beloved castle. The chapel was built by her daughter Ileana, it was vandalized and her heart removed from its casket in a grotesque anti-monarchist display by the communist authorities.
After waiting in line to visit the castle, you will get a chance to go inside. Scaling a long exterior ramp you will enter though large oak doors into a foyer. The castle may have been the inspiration for the castle of Count Dracula but the real Vlad may have never set foot in it. It was a Saxon castle after all! Although the Wallachians and Hungarians were allied against the Turks, they often fought as well. Matthias Covinus, son of John Huyadi (the man who imprisoned Dracula’s father), had Dracula arrested in 1462 for harassing the Saxons in Bran Pass just to the south of the castle and brought to Budapest. If he spent any time in the castle it was as a prisoner! For more information on the link between Huyadi, Corvinus and the Dracula family read my post on Hunendoara.
One of the highlights of the castle is the “secret” escape staircase discovered during the 1910 renovations of the castle. Behind a fireplace is a staircase that linked the third and first floors. Another highlight is the castle courtyard (best viewed from the upper decks!). Apart from its stunning architecture, the intimate space holds one of the more interesting elements of the castle, a well. This well was used to bring in drinking water to the castle. It may look dull but it is an astonishing 60 feet deep, built into solid rock, and holds a secret room meant to hide the castles treasury in case the enemy besieging the property broke through!
Râșnov Castle
History
Like Bran, this castle was established by the Teutonic knights. It was constructed in 1211, although the Dacian people had occupied the site in antiquity. The property was eventually transferred to Saxon administration after the Teutons were expelled. This castle differs from Bran significantly, as Rasnov was conceived as a citadel. This type of construction implies a civilian settlement occupies the space inside the walls, in this case a small village was built into the fortifications. During a 1335 Tatar (Mongol) raid on the Burzenland, only Rasnov and Brasov held out! The citadel was again besieged again in 1421, this time by the Ottoman Army. It would not be conquered until 1612 when Gabriel Bathory, the Austro-Hungarian regent of Transylvania, cut off the villagers water supply forcing a surrender. This caused the Saxons to build a 146m deep well to protect their water supply. It apparently took 17 years for two Turkish prisoners to dig it by hand!
The castle was again besieged by the Ottoman army in 1690, in 1718 it succumbed to fire and in 1802 an earthquake. By this time the Carpathian frontier was no longer in danger as the Ottoman threat to Europe slowly receded. Rasnov’s fortifications were no longer needed and the population moved to the village you see today below the mountain.
What to do in Rasnov?
From the town of Rasnov you can see the impressive castle above. Like many of the castles in Romania, Rasnov was given the Hollywood treatment with large white letters identifying it.
The castle consists of an upper and lower castle. The lower castle is empty but archaeologist have uncovered the foundations of a medieval church.
The upper castle offers a viewpoint over Carpathian mountains of the impressive fortress walls.
It also offers a glimpses at medieval life in Transylvania. Over 80 houses can be found on the premises, many of theme small tourist shops. At the top of the upper castle, a Romanian flag marks a stunning viewpoint that looks over the valley below.
Conclusion
Both Rasnov and Bran make for an unforgettable day trip from Brasov and serve as a great introduction to the splendour of Romania. For castle lovers consider visiting the city of Sibiu, located in western Transylvania. From there you can plan a day-trip to the spectacular Corvin and Deva castles. Corvin castle in particular fits in well with the history of Bran Castle and unlike Bran the castle actually did host the real Vlad Dracula III (Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler)! Will the real Vlad please stand up!
