During our trip to Brașov, we had a few free days. We knew that Romanian castles were places worth visiting, but we had no idea which ones to choose. So we decided to cover as much as possible and visit every castle we could reach in two days.
Dracula’s Castle
Of course, Dracula’s Castle!
Bran Castle — that is the real name of this castle. It once served as a border fortress between two regions of Romania — Transylvania and Wallachia. It stands on top of a rock, with a road below that can be clearly seen from the castle. An excellent military position. Taking it easily or approaching it unnoticed must have been very difficult, and it was also a perfect observation point.
Inside the castle, there is the residence of Queen Marie, the rooms of King Ferdinand, a library, and a well leading to underground areas. It has almost everything. The only thing missing is anything connected to Vlad the Impaler, the ruler who eventually became associated with Count Dracula in popular culture. Moreover, most historians agree that Vlad the Impaler never lived in this castle.
The reason why Bran became so closely associated with Dracula is quite simple. Irish writer Bram Stoker, the author of the Gothic horror novel Dracula, was inspired by images of the castle when creating the home of Dracula in his novel. Although Stoker himself never visited Romania, the castle certainly looks dark enough to inspire the imagination.
The Royal Castle
Peleș is a relatively modern castle. Construction began in 1873, and the completed castle was inaugurated in 1883. It is located on the route between Transylvania and Wallachia.
King Carol I chose the location for the castle, and the road leading to it is truly beautiful. It is worth remembering that the forests in this region are home to plenty of bears and wolves, but you should still find a place to stop and enjoy the surrounding views. Peleș Castle itself has a beautiful and extensive park where you can walk around and see the building from every angle.
From the outside, the castle does not look particularly large, but it has 168 rooms, only 35 of which are open to visitors. In those rooms, we saw an armory, a study, a reception room, a great hall, and almost everything else you would expect to find in a real castle. What all the remaining rooms were used for is not entirely clear, but this is a royal castle — it has to be impressive!
Râșnov Fortress
An ancient fortress built between 1211 and 1225. During its entire history, it was conquered only once, and even then only because the attackers discovered a secret route to its water source. After that, a very deep well was dug inside the fortress so that this weakness could no longer be used against it.
Today, not that much of the fortress remains. It stands on a mountain, and from below you can even miss it if you do not know where to look. But climbing up is still absolutely worth it. The old, partly ruined fortress offers views that are truly breathtaking: the modern town of Râșnov below, surrounded by mountains and forests. From the highest point of the fortress, the views become almost panoramic.
It is worth mentioning that all three places described above are located in the same region. We visited them all in a single day without having to sacrifice time at any of them. Râșnov Fortress is also a very natural way to finish such a busy day, with beautiful evening views over the entire region.
Corvin Castle
This 15th-century castle is located in the city of Hunedoara. Although it was quite far from where we were staying, the trip was definitely worth it. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Gothic castles in Europe.
Like many castles and fortresses in Romania, it originally had a primarily military purpose. It is very interesting to walk around inside and try to look at everything from a military point of view: the position of the arrow slits, the well, and the castle fortifications. In the Middle Ages, approaching this place must have been extremely difficult. Another interesting part of its defenses is the bridge leading to the castle. Long and narrow, it looks almost impossible to cross if the fortress is being actively defended.
The castle is just as impressive from the outside. It is truly huge, with many different towers rising above the building. It is no surprise that movies set in historical periods have been filmed here — the castle really does look cinematic.
Final Thoughts on Romanian Castles
Of course, we could not visit all the castles in Romania — there are plenty of them. But these places are definitely worth keeping in mind when planning a trip around the country.
And if you have one or two free days while visiting Romanian cities, it is definitely worth using them to explore some of the castles nearby.