Dracula beyond the legend: 8-day private tour in Transilvania

Welcome to Bucharest, Romania, a city first mentioned in documents contemporary with Vlad Tepes, the prince whose personality and deeds inspired the legends of Dracula. If you really want to find out how someone can give rise to such a dramatic story as that of Bram Stokers Count Dracula, you need to know the truth about Vlad Tepes Voivod, the descendant of an ancient Romanian family, an idealist and the ever-present prototype of the adamant legislator.You will start exploring Bucharest with a tour of the city’s most famous tourist attraction, the Palace of the Parliament. Also known as the People’s House (Casa Poporului), this massive construction is the largest administrative building in the world. It was constructed between 1984 and 1997, and it currently is home to the Parliament of Romania.Welcome to Bucharest, Romania, a city first mentioned in documents contemporary with Vlad Tepes, the prince whose personality and deeds inspired the legends of Dracula. If you really want to find out how someone can give rise to such a dramatic story as that of Bram Stokers Count Dracula, you need to know the truth about Vlad Tepes Voivod, the descendant of an ancient Romanian family, an idealist and the ever-present prototype of the adamant legislator.You will start exploring Bucharest with a tour of the city’s most famous tourist attraction, the Palace of the Parliament. Also known as the People’s House (Casa Poporului), this massive construction is the largest administrative building in the world. It was constructed between 1984 and 1997, and it currently is home to the Parliament of Romania.

Your day will continue with a walking tour through Bucharest’s Old Town. Known as Centrul Vechi, this area is considered the heart of the city. And for good reason. It is filled with cafes, restaurants, and tourist attractions, and you will catch a glimpse of Curtea Veche (The Old Court), the first royal court in Bucharest which was once inhabited by Vlad Tepes.

The second day of your Dracula tour begins with a trip to Târgoviște, a place which served as the capital of the historic region of Wallachia during the Middle Ages.Târgoviște served as a Saxon colony throughout the 13th century, but due to its economic growth, it became a secondary residence for Wallachian princes during the 14th century. The Royal court was moved from Curtea de Argeș to Târgoviște in 1431, and it was constantly refurbished throughout the years. In 1395 the city was sieged and set on fire by Bayezid I, and in 1462 the Ottoman invasion was only stopped from reaching the city by Vlad the Impaler’s Night Attack. A tour of Târgoviște will serve as an introduction into the history of Vlad the Impaler, and you will visit the Princely Church and the Chindia Tower.

You will visit Curtea de Arges Monastery, erected between 1512 and 1517. The monastery is widely famous for the legend of Manole, one of the most important Romanian myths, which left a powerful mark on its people: “you can’t create something everlasting without sacrifice”.Nowadays the monastery is one of the most important historical monuments in Romania, and it is the final resting place for several members of the Royal House of Romania.

After visiting Curtea de Arges, you will head to Valea cu Pești, a beautiful hotel placed on the famous Transfăgărășan road.

In the first part of the day, you will break away from the vampire stories and enjoy some of the spectacular landscapes of Transylvania. Transfăgărășan passes the Southern Carpathians through the tallest mountains in Romania, Făgăraș, reaching heights of 2042 meters. This is the perfect chance to take some stunning photos that you can take back home.

You will then reach Sibiu, a city where 600 years ago the legend of Dracula started spreading through the noblemen and merchants that inhabited the city. Once in Sibiu, you will head to the ASTRA Museum in order to take a ride with a wooden carriage. The museum is home to over 300 traditional buildings, and it houses thousands of traditional household objects.

Afterward, you will take a walking tour of Sibiu, a city that triumphantly blends history with multicultural elements. Your tour will begin in the Main Square of the city, and you will visit some of the city’s most important landmarks, such as the Brukenthal Museum, the “Holy Trinity” Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the Huet Square with its Evangelical Church. You will then have a few hours at your disposal to explore the city center.

The fourth day of your Dracula Tour in Transylvania will begin with a trip to Corvin Castle. Also known as Hunyadi Castle, it is located in the Hunedoara county and it is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Displaying an impressive Renaissance-Gothic architecture, the castle is surrounded by tall towers, bastions, a moat, and it houses an impressive inner courtyard. A legend claims that this is the place where Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned for 7 years.

You will then head to the Orăștie mountains to visit one of the famous Dacian Fortresses, Sarmizegetusa Regia. Sarmizegetusa served as the most important military, religious and political center of the Dacian Empire, and it contained a citadel, residential areas, workshops, and a sacred zone. The sacred zone is one of the most important Dacian sanctuaries, and its layout resembles the one of Stonehenge. On this site, four rectangular sanctuaries, two circular sanctuaries, and a solar disk have been identified.

Your tour will continue with a trip to Densuș, a village in Hunedoara, where you will visit the Densuș Church, one of the oldest Romanian churches still standing. The church was constructed sometime during the 7th century, and inside you can find murals that date back to the 15th century and depict Jesus wearing traditional Romanian clothing.One hypothesis claims that the Densuș Church was initially a pagan temple, and some of the clues include the fact that the altar is closer to the South than to the East, the roof that is shaped like a dove, and the lion statues who are united by their tails. Another hypothesis claims that the church was built as a mausoleum to the Roman general Longinus Maximus.

Your day begins with a trip to Alba Iulia, a city located in the center of Romania. The Alba Carolina Citadel is the largest medieval citadel in Romania, and it was built between 1715 and 1738. The site was previously home to two other fortifications, the Roman Castle of Legio XIII Gemina, and the Bălgrad Medieval Citadel.The medieval fortress was part of a fortification system created by Prince Eugene of Savoy designed to ensure the defenses of the newly conquered provinces of the Habsburg Empire. It is one of the most representative Vauban bastion fortification in Transylvania, and it became one of the Roman Empire’s main fortifications in the area.

You will then head towards the „center of the Earth” through the salt deposits of Transylvania. Turda has been used for mining salt for hundreds of years, being mentioned for the first time in 1075. Today, the Turda Salt Mine has been turned into one of the coolest underground places in the world, providing countless hours of entertainment to its tourists. It is the perfect location for a fun family picnic, and inside you can play mini-golf, ping pong, bowling, ride the Ferris wheel, or take a boat ride on the underground lake.

After breakfast, you will leave from Cluj and head to a nearby Saxon village in order to visit the Biertan Fortified Church. The church is surrounded by three sets of walls, and its Gothic architecture inspires a sense of awe and admiration to all those who visit it.

Your tour continues with a trip to Sighișoara, the only inhabited medieval fortress included in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking through the Sighisoara Medieval Citadel on the winding cobblestone streets lined with historic buildings you will reach the Clock Tower, the symbol of the city. The Tower shelters a museum of medieval weapons and a torture chamber.Sighisoara is also considered the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, and you will visit the place where the infamous Wallachian ruler lived the first years of his life.

The first destination of the day is the city of Brasov, where you will take a walking tour of the city and discover some of its attractions. You will walk on one of the narrowest streets in the world, explore the beautiful Council Square, and discover the secrets of the Black Church, a famous Gothic cathedral.

You will then leave Brasov and head to Bran for a tour of Dracula’s Castle. Bran Castle is one of the spookiest medieval castles in Europe, and it was built in the 13th century. It was built on top of a 60-meter cliff, and it guards the most important access route into Transylvania.

After touring the Castle of Dracula, you will head back to the historical region of Wallachia, the land reigned by Vlad the Impaler. The final stop of the day is at the Snagov Monastery, the burial place of Vlad Tepes.*The place where Vlad was buried remained a subject of controversy and many legends that are stretching so far to the city of Napoli in Italia. According to the legend, Vlad Tepes was not killed by the Turks but ransomed by his daughter and brought to Italy.The most commonly accepted legend says that after Vlad’s death, rival aristocratic families prevented him from being buried after his assassination according to the Christian custom. Seeing this, the monks at Snagov stole the prince’s body and gave it a proper burial, in secrecy.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport according to your flight hours.