Romania

Bran Castle

Bran Castle was not at all what we expected. I guess we just figured that it would be a lot darker because it was the home of a Queen that used to kill young women and hang them upside down over bathtubs and drain their blood into them so that she could bathe in their blood. But when we visited, it just seemed like a normal place. (shrug) The market around the castle was interesting but we did notice that most of the shops had the exact same things. We didn't find much, just a plaque for the wall. It was very far out of the way and not that spectacular. I really don't recommend it.

Brasov, Romania

The Monistary and Vlad Dracul's Grave

The monestary was on an island in the middle of a lake. We had to take a boat for about fifteen minutes to get there and then we stayed for about an hour. It took over three hours to get there from the hotel, though; and everyone could have done without that! Vlad the Impaler's grave was inside the monestary were it remains safe from grave robbers and those who would have destroyed it in the past.

The Royal Family's Castle

The Castle has been vacant for a very long time now. The last royal family was forced to vacate the castle and now it is visited by some 3,000 guests a day. It is truly beautiful and quite honestly the most well preserved building I have ever seen, both inside and out. The castle has a strong German influence and is also composed of stone. There is highly detailed wood throughout the inside and outside of the castle and vibrant handpainted designs throughout as well. Some of the mirrors inside go all the way from the floor to the ceiling. The garden is adorned with at least a dozen statues. It was pretty cold that day...I was glad when we left.