Lesser-known Bran Castle facts

In 2009, Dracula’s Castle was returned to the true owners of the castle, Archduke Dominic and his sisters – Maria Magdalena and Elisabeth Sandhofer. Once the administration was transferred to them by the Romanian government, they opened the castle to the public in June 2009. It was the first private museum in Romania and popular for the famous Dracula tour which attracts tourists from all over the world.

Until Queen Marie decided to renovate Bran Castle, the hidden passage in the castle had been forgotten and was a secret hideaway. It connected the first floor to the third floor and was used as an emergency tunnel to escape. This not-so-secret passage was discovered when they were rearranging the room and had moved an old fireplace.

Another lesser-known fact about Bran Castle is that it used to be a hospital at a time. After Queen Marie died, Princess Ileana, her daughter, inherited the castle. She turned it into a hospital during World War II and nursed the patients until 1948 when it was taken over by the communist regime.

One of the most interesting Bran Castle facts is that the well that exists outside is a copy and not a real well. It is a kind of elevator built for Queen Marie when she grew old and faced difficulty in climbing the stairs to the castle. This was extended to connect to her royal gardens, making it easy and sneaky for her to enter Bran Castle.

Since the passage to Wallachia was through Bran, this castle also served as a customs point under the rule of Mircea the Elder. Merchants entering Transylvania would have to pay tax at the Bran Castle before heading to Wallachia.

Bran Castle underwent a lot of damage through the years and was in pretty bad condition after a while. There was a desperate need for renovation after the explosion of 1539 and the severe storms that damaged the roofs of the fort. It was reconstructed in the 17th century under Gabriel Bethlen and the northern tower was renovated in 1723.

There is no evidence that Vlad ever lived in Bran Castle but many historians believe that he was forcefully kept here for two months. In 1462, he was captured by the Hungarian King Matei Corvin’s army and locked in the castle for two months.

Built in the 14th century as a stronghold to defend Transylvania’s border, Bran Castle is one of the most important landmarks in Romania. The castle acted as a defense against the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and later served as a customs point and is a museum now. With rich history and culture, this is one of the most important attractions to visit in Romania.

Dracula’s Castle played an important role as a fortress and a customs point, but after the border of Transylvania moved, it fell into decay. It was in 1920 when the restoration work started on the castle after Queen Marie started residing in it. She hired royal architect Karel Zdenek Liman to restore the castle and add her style of furnishings and art to decorate it.

Bran Castle was gifted as a palace to Queen Marie in 1920 who fell in love with it and spent many summers here. In her will, she requested to bury her heart near the building and a sarcophagus was built for the same. You will find an urn with her heart on the southwest side of the castle near a little creek close to the forest.

Bram Stoker described Dracula’s castle to be perched on a hill with a flowing river below, a resemblance that many instantly connected to Bran Castle. However, Stoker never even visited Bran Castle. It is believed that his description of Dracula’s castle was inspired by books about Transylvania and illustrations of Bran Castle.