6 Things to Do in Transylvania Other Than Becoming Undead

Luke Evans as Vlad in Dracula Untold. Jasin Boland/Universal

As the new flick Dracula Untold is here to (un)tell you: Dracula was a real dude. Well, sorta. The version in Untold, opening Friday, is the more fantastical, ghastly version of the man scholars believe Bram Stoker used as inspiration for his iconic vampire: 15th century voivode Vlad Țepeș/Vlad III Dracula/Vlad the Impaler. (That last nickname he got because of his habit of leaving enemies on stakes as deterrent for advancing Ottoman soldiers.) Sound like the kind of guy whose former stomping grounds you want to visit? Good, because Romania would love to welcome you to its vast and beautiful lands.

Despite its lush countryside and lost-in-time quaint villages, the area known as Transylvania isn’t exactly a hot spot for tourists, but those who do go are typically looking for vampires. So, as with any locale that attracts a niche audience, a cottage industry has sprung up to cater to those in search of blood-suckers. We scoured the web to find a couple must-visit spots for the perfect Dracula-themed Halloween getaway.

Bran Castle

Near Brasov (about 100 miles north of Bucharest) you can go Bran Castle, the “only castle in all of Transylvania that actually fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle.” (Well, phew!) You can visit the castle almost 365 days a year for six euro (students and seniors get a discount) and get a taste of the recently renovated property, where half a million people go each year to enjoy “music festivals, children’s pageants, and food fairs.” There’s also a glass elevator that lets you experience “Dracula’s escape route.” Really want the full Dracula experience? Last spring, the owners hinted they might be willing to sell Bran Castle to the right buyer, so you could theoretically make it your summer vacation home.

House of Dracula Hotel

Aside from the theme and the name there’s no real historical vampire relevance to this place, but it does have a spa. (The tagline is not: “You’ll leave looking ageless!” Missed opportunity.) It also, as Anthony Bourdain once said, looks “as if a Motel 6 had sex with a Renaissance fair and then crammed in a breakfast nook and a crummy bar.” (Honestly, though, it looks a lot more fun than Bourdain gives it credit for.)