You will be picked up from the Bucharest Airport in an air-conditioned European car/ minibus/ coach (depending on the number of travelers) by your English-speaking driver/ guide for this Dracula weekend in Transylvania.
Set out on a beautiful 5-hour drive through the Romanian countryside to Sighisoara Citadel, a fortified, still-inhabited city dating from the 12th century. This UNESCO World Heritage site is notable for being the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, so named for his preferred method of punishing his enemies. It is believed this wicked Wallachian Prince inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The building where Vlad was born has been turned into a cozy restaurant that features the delicious dishes of the Count, and makes for an excellent lunch option (payable direct).
Overnight in an intimate 3-star hotel that offers 4-star services. Located in the heart of the citadel, you’ll be enchanted by the medieval charm of the place.
Awake to a Swedish breakfast buffet and explore all of Sighisoara’s main attractions.
Visit the Clock Tower, a 60-meter tall monolith dating from 1360, which houses a museum and offers a stunning vista over the citadel.
Continue to the village of Bran, home of the legendary Bran Castle. Dating from 1377, this massive fortress has a storybook charm all its own and is erroneously referred to as Dracula’s castle, since Vlad the Impaler never actually lived here. Still, with walls made of cool stone and a labyrinthine interior full of hidden passages and secret chambers, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting haunt for a vampire.
In 1920, Queen Mary, the niece of Great Britain’s Queen Victoria, turned the castle into a beautiful summer residence. Nearby the castle is a shrine set in a sheer mountain face that once sheltered Mary’s heart.
Lunch can be enjoyed in Bran (payable direct), where a cheese tasting is strongly recommended. The village is part of the Rucar, a region famous for its assortment of homemade traditional cheeses. The ones smoked in pine bark are especially delicious!
Continue your journey through Transylvanian history with a visit to the Rasnov Peasant Citadel. Perched on top of a hill in the Carpathian Mountains and overlooking a lush pastoral landscape, Rasnov is the best-preserved peasant fortification in the region, and the largest in Eastern Europe. Built in the 13th century, this imposing fortress protected villagers from the sieges of centuries.
In all likelihood, you’ll only see the citadel from the outside, as it will probably be closed by the time you arrive.
Be transferred to the ancient settlement of Brasov, which is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, and was among the most influential Saxon settlements of its time. Learn how the commercial and cultural growth of Brasov helped shape the course of Romanian history.
Visit the Black Church, which is the largest gothic edifice between Vienna and Istanbul. Founded as the St. Virgin Mary Church in the 14th century, the church was renamed in 1689 after a great fire blackened its walls.
The church contains the largest bell in Romania and an extensive collection of Oriental carpets dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
After a city tour you can relax in the lively pubs and discotheques of Brasov before retiring to your 3-star hotel. The gothic character of the city truly comes alive under the cover of night, as its narrow cobbled alleys are shrouded in shadows and its surrounding forests recede to black.