Bran Castle and It's Illusive History

Bran Castle  

By Julie Stapleton 

Bran Castle, Located in Bran Romania (4)

  Throughout the growth of literature and culture, specific works have become historical works of art. We can talk lightly about the hidden message in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice or the wittiness of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby. We can talk all day about small little mysteries that really pan out to the opinion of others or their perspective on things. However, nothing compares to the mysteries within Bran Castle's walls. The castle's very presence halts all matters of opinion and belief. It leaves people with the question of who Vlad Dracula was and why Bran Castle is so infamous. Here is its story. 

The Beginning

    The construction of this monument concluded in 1388, having been under construction for 11 years. When King Louis I of Hungary allowed the Transylvanian Saxons of the Brasov region to build a castle. The castle was put there to block the expansion of the Ottoman empire, basically acting as a fortress under the king's command. The castle bounced between numerous different leaders until it made its way to the House of Habsburg, which gained control of the region in 1687 and then declared that the castle was for the people of the region, not leaders from far away. With the locals now being its prime caregivers, the castle was serviced and kept up with as a fortress until the 1880s, falling into disrepair shortly after. (1) 

Potential Paranormal Activity

    The castle really couldn't be described as a place where royalty lounged in their thrones and every now and again came to say hello to the citizens down below it's majestic view. There were no grand balls or happy kings and Queens, and certainly no lone vampire counts, not until the 19th century. The idea of Bram Stocker's Dracula was created after Bram Stocker himself visited the castle and got the idea based on the history. The misconception that this is the home or the childhood home of Vlad Dracula, overwise known as Vlad The Impaler, is false. Two American paranormal investigators named Sam and Colby went on a tour through the castle while filming their series called "Hell Week," and ended up discovering multiple things about the castle itself. Their tour guide shows them numerous pieces of the castle's questionable history, including secret passages that lead to different floors of the castle, the monastery where Vlad the Impaler is rumored to be buried, even taking the voyage across the country to the spot where local legend says Dracula himself was beheaded. (2)

The Sam and Colby Video

    With the castle itself seeing an estimated 700 years of war, it is understandably said to have some ghostly encounters. Some disturbing questions have risen over recent years along the lines of torture and the sheer amount of bloodshed. This brought to light some of the classic Romanian traditions and local beliefs that are majorly unknown to the public. It is stated throughout many historical pieces that Romanians grew accustomed to burying their deceased family members like usual, but after a certain amount of time, they would uncover the dead and remove the heart from the body. This was believed to prevent or full-blown stop the believed inevitable of their loved one's dark spirit. This is called in Romania a "Strigoi," translating to "evil spirit." The entire legend of Dracula, the blood-seeking lone count that terrorized all who encountered him, is, of course, a myth. That myth, however, is rooted and completely based on real Romanian traditions and fears, like the one of the "Strigoi."(2)

    As officials and most locals have tried to rid this tradition from recent years, there are still many signs around the town surrounding the castle containing warnings like "Avoid walking around at night," and this is entirely due to the belief that the bloodshed the land of Bran Castle witnessed could harbor the negative energy of the feared "Strigoi." Bringing all of this knowledge with us as we uncover more about the castle really gives us a view of the local opinion of the castle and the superstitions around it. This also prepares us for the wrath this land saw from Vlad the Impaler before his execution. 

Important People

    Bran Castle was a place that had seen 650-700 years of war; it is impossible to put a number on how many lives were lost on that land. However, we can look at history and account for the fact that Vlad the Impaler is responsible for the lives of 80,000 people alone, mainly Turks and people brought to Wallachia as prisoners. This gruesome man never owned or lived in the castle, but he was imprisoned there for some time before Queen Marie's presence. (1)

Queen Marie of Romania. 

This portrait is located at the Maryhill Museum of Art. (6)

    Sam and Colby reported that in their time at the castle, they discovered that the castle had just within the last century, become a royal residence. Queen Marie of Romania of 1920 was gifted Bran Castle by the citizens. Reportedly, after Queen Marie passed away, they brought the remaining heart back to the castle because she wanted it to be known that this fortress was where her heart would forever stay. With her body being somewhere else and her heart supposedly staying in the castle, we can see this truly was just the custom of everyday Romania. (2)

The Secret Staircase

This staircase was discovered in Bran Castle in the 1920s. (8)

    No matter the extensive historical research done on the castle, more and more secrets are uncovered. Speaking of, during one of the summer stays of Queen Marie in the 1920s, restoration work was being done on the castle, and a secret staircase was revealed. The staircase led from the first floor to the third, with no entry to the second floor. This boggled historians, making them question what its purpose was and what it could possibly be used for. Eventually, historians came to understand that as the castle saw 700 years of bloodshed and war, this fortress of a building and its warlord inhabitants used this staircase in the event of an official needing to make a hasty exit in the case of invasion, battle, or desertion. (5)

Bram Stoker's Relevance

     When anyone in modern times hears the name "Dracula," they usually relate it back to Bram Stoker's fictional character, who is a vampire that spreads sheer fear and terror over England and Romania. Bram came up with this character after learning about Vlad the Impaler, former Voivode of Wallachia. (7) 

Rumors of the infamous Dracula have circulated for decades, but some stretch far beyond the level of local myth and legend. Vlad Dracula is said to be so vicious, he is responsible for the deaths of 80,000 men, women, and children. During his rampages and pillages, Vlad used the tactic of impalement by giant stakes, gifting him with the name we still fear to this day: Vlad the Impaler. Some misconceptions about Vlad start off with him routinely drinking the blood of his victims as they lay there impaled. This is false, as there is no historical evidence of Vlad drinking blood, but from his actions presented throughout his life, we can certainly say he was bloodthirsty. (2) It is also said that Vlad Dracula owned Bran Castle, but this is also false. He was merely imprisoned at Bran Castle for an undisclosed amount of time. The story of Vlad Dracula himself is what inspired Bram Stoker to write the novel Dracula.

Vlad Dracula III, Vlad the Impaler. (7)

Sources: 

1. Lewis, Robert. "Bran Castle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bran-Castle. Accessed 31 March 2025.

2. Our Horrifying Night at Dracula's Castle. YouTube, Sam and Colby, 17 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVGwnroncDY. 

3. Lallanilla, Marc. “Vlad the Impaler: The Real Dracula Was Absolutely Vicious.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 31 Oct. 2013, www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/vlad-impaler-real-dracula-was-absolutely-vicious-8c11505315.

4. Bran Castle. Bran, Romania. Photographer unknown. 

5. Google Arts and Culture. “7 Buildings with Secret Passages - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/story/7-buildings-with-secret-passages/hAVx-7O0uEIORw?hl=en. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

6. Queen Marie of Romania in coronation robes. 1926. 35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, WA 98620.

7. Pallardy, Richard. “Vlad the Impaler.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 18 Feb. 2025, www.britannica.com/biography/Vlad-the-Impaler.

8. Marina, Paul. “Bran Castle: What to Expect inside Dracula’s Castle in Romania.” Paulmarina, 27 Sept. 2024, paulmarina.com/bran-castle/.