When I first learned a visit to Castelul Bran, commonly known as Count Dracula’s Castle, was on our list of places to visit during our time in Romania I became very excited. After all, a trip to Romania is not complete without a visit to this national landmark. Located in Bran, (clever right?), Bran Castle is about a 3-hour drive from Alba Iulia (where we stayed), and about 2 hours and 45 minutes from Bucharest.
Upon arriving at Bran Castle, you are greeted by all sorts vendors selling all sorts of souvenir knick-knacks. They are definitely some great items and some that are not so great. Once you pass through the gate, cost of admission is 35 Lei or a little over $8, you start to make the walk up to the castle. The path is paved, but it definitely is quite the hike.
There are no tours of the castle, everything is self guided, so I highly recommend picking up an audio tour. A lot of the plaques are in English, but I learned a whole lot more about the castle and its most famous inhabitants with the audio guide.
The best views of the castle, in my opinon, are overlooking the courtyard.
I had a great day exploring Dracula’s Castle and it is a very “Transylvanian” experience to enjoy. I would certainly recommend this day trip to anyone visiting Romania!
