Foreign tourists are usually interested in the most let's call them spicy legends of our country, actually horror stories, listening to them while sipping a good red wine in the places where once Dracula passed, or where his friend Jonathan Harker walked. This way, we cannot tell any more which hero was born from the history of the places and which character rose from the imagination of the Irish, essence of the most scary thing in the world: the educated vampire. While in the Romanian parts, literature and romantic history have "rebuilt" the face of Vlad the Impeller, as a hero in the battle for liberty, in Western Europe the novel "Count Dracula" as being created, written by Abraham Stoker, in which Vlad becomes a terror character. He is being transformed into a wicked and fictional character, having the faith of going around the world through novels and all kinds of movies. The legend "Dracula" has leaded to the making of 250 movies, 1000 novels, thousands of press articles, now existing over 4000 clubs all over the world with the same name. After the Bible, the fiction novel of Bram Stoker has the second place as record sales all around the world, this one being translated in almost all the existing languages. Only three of the many movies which scared the audience have represented important moments: in 1992, "Nosferatu oder eine Symphonie des Graenes", in 1931 "Dracula" - with Bella Lugosi, maybe the best known - and in 1958 "The Horror of Dracula".

The story of our itinerary starts in Bucharest, the city that almost owes its existence to Vlad the Impeller, as from his time the first documentary certify exists. But the gathered experience in organizing "Dracula" tours have inspired the ones from Romantic Travel to initiate a concept based on Stoker's novel: the thematically club "Count Dracula". In this way, a house built in 1906, not far from the ruins of the Royal Court, has become a club. As a matter of fact, the decoration of the rooms exactly as Jonathan Harker's description took the longest time, all details being important: ritual popular masks, Corund ceramics, table cloths sewed by hand, typical 15th century guns, German engravings, and the collection of hunting trophies. This whole universe is being uncovered by Count Dracula himself, as played by the actor Petre Moraru. The scenario has imagined all the details: while the guests are OK with their glasses of red wine, a left coffin from a corner gets opened and from it Dracula shows up. He begins his nightly walk through the rooms of the club, showing all the creations of it: the library, the English-pub, stairs, saloons, all the objects that make the club special.

Foreign tourists all wish to see the Bran Castle. Only one photo of the Transylvanian castle and all say that is the castle of count Dracula. For over 30 years historians are trying to make themselves heard: Dracula hasn't even ever passed through Bran, the legend has no basis. As about count Dracula, Bram Stoker is being as clear as possible: he lives in Bistrita. When the Dracula tours started, here was no castle. It has been built in the 80's to fill this gap. But the castle shown since the beginning was Bran, and it remained with this label ever since. The only connection between this castle and the legend of the terrifying ruler is most certainly the atmosphere of the mediaeval architecture and objects. Cold rooms, stone stairs very tight which abruptly go up, hidden corridor sand protection towers. There is no proof that Vlad ever lived there, although it seems that he imprisoned a few people over there. The first document which refers to Bran Castle has been a paper written in 1377, by Ludovic D'Anjou, offering to the citizens of Brasov, the right to build their own castle. Unfairly, the only castle truthfully owned by Vlad the Impeller is the one from Poienari, in Cheile Argesului, a donjon built by him with a lot of work: the nobles of Danesti had been punished because they killed his father, Vlad Dracul. The nobles and their wives were asked to carry with their own arms the materials for the castle. The fortress is being situated at approximately 2 kilometers away from Campulung. Here, the guides will explain you the meaning of Dracula This name came from "Draculea", which mean "The son of the devil". Vlad Dracul (Vlad the Devil), Tepes's father was nicknamed like this because he was knight of The Dragon Order. Other points from the ruler can be found at approximately 100 kilometers from Bucharest, at Targoviste. Here are the ruins of the "Ruler's Castle" and also here is still standing the "Chindia Tower", representative architectural monument. The road for following the ruler is "guarded" by castles, palaces and fortresses.

A big part of the fame of the oldest mediaeval city is owed, of course, to Vlad ruler, also called Dracula. With the present Sighisoara, the connection with the old historical character is ensured by the old and famous house named "Vlad the Devil", situated in the central area of the castle. But Sighisoara is more than that. Mediaeval architectural complex, also civil, of European value, Sighisoara is one of the few fortress cities populated in Europe. The main attraction point is the Museum of History and also the Clock Tower that hosts it and that is the symbol of the City. Here starts the story of the witch's trial, the passing stage through the vampire mythology. We visit the house "Vlad the Devil" where Tepes was born. We go on the corridor of 175 stairs and we enter in the church from the hill. In the crypt situated under altar we can see a hand perfectly mummified, dated from the Middle Ages. The small finger is missing, used by the witches in the night of Sabbath for the coagulation of the magic liqueur. Their trial was no joke. In 1320, Pope Ioan the 22nd released the order to the Inquisition to punish the magic practices. We are going down in the citadel's market. We are in a full Middle Age. A lot of people are waiting the execution. The executioner is showing up also. We enter in the cell situated under the Clock Tower. Here we find a woman still young, crucified on the staircase. A neighbor announced the authorities she saw the woman Saturday night copulating with the devil, who took the face of a big black dog. Then she flew over the fortress on a he-goat. The execution is decided. The witch has no right to defend herself. She is seized by her hair and dragged in front of the pyre. The priests accuse her for heresy. The pyre is in fire. The woman is tied by a stake in the middle of fire. From the middle of people a young unmarried man promises to the priests to marry with the witch. According the rules, the woman is saved. This is the passing stage. Witches have many things in common with the vampires: they love the night; they can fly and also can change their face. In ancient times, the communities had, instead of police, their own protectors of tidiness. Protector spirits like this, but in the social plan, are also the vampires. If you don't break the law, you don't have to be afraid. The vampires punish the incest, the theft, the crime and they do not attack innocent people. Unlike this, the vampire Count Dracula, in the imagination of Bram Stoker is an absurd vampire. He attacks virgins, kids, innocent people, breaking the contract with humanity. He is the exception which confirms the rule, maybe that's why he is so famous.