Dracula Is Being Rediscovered in Romania

Dracula has been rediscovered in Transylvania.

Visitors who travel to this ancient province in central Romania in search of Dracula’s roots are never really sure, however, whether the elusive figure they are pursuing is fact or fiction.

There were actually two Draculas--one a man, the other a myth. The Romanians, in an effort to accommodate the demands of foreign tourists, have given them a little bit of both.

The real Dracula was the 15th-Century Romanian prince, Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, who made a name for himself fighting the Turks and impaling his enemies on stakes around several of his castles.

The second Dracula was the blood-thirsty Transylvanian vampire count conjured up by Irish writer Bram Stoker in the pages of the 19th-Century gothic horror novel, “Dracula: The Dread Lord of the Un-Dead.”

A Dash of Fantasy

Those who like to add a dash of fantasy and adventure to serious sightseeing when they travel will find the combination of the two Draculas unbeatable.

A weeklong Dracula tour of Transylvania by car can include stops at both the historic sites where Tepes (pronounced shep-pesh ) made his mark as a Turkbuster, and at the fictional locations described so vividly in Stoker’s book.

Transylvania, which has seesawed between Hungarian and Romanian domination over the past century, is a high plateau in central Romania. Known as “the land beyond the forests,” it is between the Transylvania Alps on the south and the Carpathian Mountains on the north and east.

The most dramatic way to embark on a Dracula tour is to rent a car in Bucharest and make a mad dash to the Borgo Pass to spend the first night.

The fastest way to reach the pass, located on Highway 17 between Bistrita and Vatra Dornei, is to skirt along the Carpathians through the eastern province of Moldavia.

From Bucharest, take Highway E-85 north through prized Moldavian vineyards and red poppy-sprinkled fields all the way to Bacau, a city that has been rebuilt with wall-to-wall apartment high-rises.

The two-lane roads in Romania are generally good, although you will find yourself alternately scooting around horse-drawn Gypsy wagons from the Old World and modern farm machinery.

You may lose count of the political signs heralding Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and the Communist Party, but you are not likely to be bothered by the local militia . . . unless you are caught speeding.

Romanian citizens encountered along the way will generally be hospitable and helpful, but they don’t speak much English.

From Bacau head northwest to Vatra Dornei, a storybook Victorian town famous for its mineral baths, and then west to the Borgo Pass.

This angular cut takes you along the Bistrita River valley on a narrow road winding around the base of the mountains.

Although driving is more challenging on this leg of the journey, it offers views of mist-shrouded peaks, placid lakes and rural villages where the stucco walls of the houses are decorated with brightly colored geometric patterns and topped with old-fashioned wood-shingle roofs.

If you leave Bucharest in the morning, you should be able to complete the 499-mile trip by nightfall and arrive at the pass just as the vampire vapor is beginning to swirl around the fir trees.

Tepes never built a castle at the Borgo Pass during his rule, but, true to Stoker’s words, a castle rises out of the mist as you round the last curve.

The castle is actually a hotel called Tihuta that looks like a medieval fortress with turrets and an inner courtyard.

If you made advance hotel reservations when you rented your car, your fate that first night will be far better than that of Stoker’s ill-fated hero, Jonathan Harker, who found himself a prisoner in Dracula’s castle of vampires.

However, if you overindulge in the local plum brandy, called tuica (sweek-ka), your dreams may be far worse than Harker’s.

Come morning, the green Transylvanian countryside will be rolled out like a soft velvet carpet as you head west to Bistrita, another landmark in Stoker’s novel.

It was at the Golden Krone Hotel, now the Coroana de Aur, that Harker was warned of Count Dracula’s evil powers and given a crucifix to wear as protection.

Although no mention is made of it in Stoker’s book, Bistrita has a historic 15th-Century church in the center of town, as well as many attractive shops.

The next stop is Sighisoara, the birthplace of Romania’s real Dracula, Tepes. The hilltop citadel of the city, also known as Schasburg because of its heavy Saxon influence, is crowned by a 14th-Century bell tower containing a museum with torture devices from the Middle Ages.

Where Dracula Was Born

On the main cobblestone-paved plaza stands a row of simple stucco German burghers’ houses. The mustard-colored one with the wrought-iron figure of a dragon hanging near the small entryway is where Tepes was born in 1431. A plaque on the wall states that Vlad Dracul, his father, occupied the premises from 1431-35.

Both the father and son had the given names of Vlad. In 1431, the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund invested Vlad, the father, with the Order of the Dragon, a semi-monastic, semi-military organization dedicated to fighting the Turks.

The elder Vlad took the name Dracul, meaning both dragon and devil, and the younger Vlad became Dracula, meaning son of the dragon or son of the devil.

Stoker, who never set foot in Transylvania, made a connection between Vlad Dracula and the peasant myths about devils that could take the form of bats and wolves.

Stoker also incorporated the Romanian religious superstition that anyone who was excommunicated from the Eastern Orthodox Church could not die and was destined to roam the world as the “undead” until someone drove a stake through his heart.

From these legends arose the imaginary Count Dracula, who terrorized London in Stoker’s 1897 novel. The story of Dracula first reached the silent movie screen when “Nosferatu” opened in London in 1928.

Actor Bela Lugosi immortalized the wicked count when he appeared as Dracula in the American film released on St. Valentine’s Day in 1931.

Today, Vlad Dracula’s house contains a medieval armaments museum and a restaurant with a bererie where you can enjoy a pleasant meal without worrying about being impaled by your host after the main course.

Adopted Castle

The trip to Brasov, where Vlad Tepes once lived and ruled, is only a 1 1/2-hour drive from Sighisoara. The village of Bran lies just southwest of Brasov, and it is here that you will find Bran Castle, which tourists have adopted as Vlad Dracula’s own.

According to historians, Dracula ruled as Prince of Wallachia, the province to the southeast of Transylvania, three times between 1448 and 1476. During that period, he built or occupied fortresses in Tirgoviste, Bucharest and Poienari.

While it is uncertain that Vlad Dracula actually occupied Bran Castle from 1456 to 1462, as the display in the main reception room claims, he might have visited it during his reign. For Dracula buffs, that’s close enough.

The well-preserved 14th-Century castle has been furnished with massive wooden beds, bureaus, tables and even several coffins from past centuries.

The weapons on display include ivory-handled Turkish pistols and ruby-studded daggers as well as European long-barreled rifles and swords.

The interior walkway overlooks an attractive stone courtyard with a drinking well. A hidden spiral staircase connects the first and second floors.

The 13th-Century core of old Brasov is well worth exploring. Not far from the main plaza is the Black Church, noted for its oriental carpet collection and magnificent pipe organ.

On the square is the Carpathian Stag, or Cerbul Carpatin, restaurant above a huge cellar containing 42 massive kegs of Romanian wine. A nightly show includes folk dances from throughout Transylvania.

Overnight accommodations are particularly attractive in nearby Poiana Brasov, an Alpine resort village that offers skiing in winter and horseback riding, swimming and sailing in summer.

Back to Bucharest

On the way back to Bucharest, you may want to detour west to see the ruins of Vlad Dracula’s real castle high on a hilltop in Poienari. Unlike Bran Castle, this fortress has fallen into rubble.

A stop at the Monastery of Vlad Tepes, on an island in Lake Snagov where Dracula is said to be buried, is also worthwhile. In summer, the sprawling park is filled with vacationers who set up tents and trailers in the wooded camping area. Swimming, fishing and boating also draw crowds on the weekends.

It will cost you less than a dollar to take the tourist boat from the Lake Snagov camping and recreation area across to the small island where the four brick towers of the monastery barely break through the treetops.

The monastery, built in the second century and fortified by Vlad Tepes in 1456, contains what some historians believe are his remains.

Dracula’s grave was once thought to be at the entrance to the small monastery, but his tombstone is inside near the altar, surrounded by frescoes depicting religious scenes and saints.

There is some disagreement over how Dracula met his end. Some believe he was beheaded by the Turks during a battle near Bucharest in 1476. Others say he was killed by his own men, who mistook him for the enemy.

In any case, it is almost certain that Vlad Dracula is really dead.

As for Count Dracula, well, the odds are that he will live on in the imaginations of Transylvania-bound tourists for many years to come.

Car-rental reservations can be made before you leave home through Hertz and Avis, which have offices at Otopeni International Airport in Bucharest. It is advisable to buy car-rental insurance. Check the car and make sure it operates before you leave the rental office. The per-day cost of a rental car with insurance is about $60 to $65 U.S. Ask for unlimited mileage.

Gas coupons can be purchased at car-rental offices, ministry of tourism headquarters and travel desks at major hotels. These coupons can be used at special Comturist pumps in Peco gas stations. Tourists generally do not have to wait in line. Gas stations are not plentiful. Premium gasoline costs about 90 cents a liter.

In case of a breakdown, you can get help anywhere in the country by phoning the emergency number 1-2-3-4-5. You can also hire a guide for about $20 a day through most Carpati travel offices.

There are severe penalties for driving while intoxicated.

You should have a confirmed, prepaid hotel voucher arranged by a travel agent for at least the first night in Bucharest to avoid having to exchange $10 per day in currency. Once you are in Bucharest, hotel reservations can be made through the Hertz/Avis office in Bucharest and through Carpati, the national travel agency.

Some hotels to consider: Hanul Manuc, Bucharest, $75-$80 double, $55-$60 single; Intercontinental Hotel, Bucharest, $113-$131 double, $92-$105 single; Castle Tihuta Hotel, Borgo Pass, $65-$75 double, $50-$55 single; Golden Krone Hotel, Bistrita, $65-$75 double, $50-$55 single; Steaua Hotel, Sighisoara, $65-$75 double, $50-$55 single; Capitol Hotel, Brasov, $75-$80 double, $55-$60 single, and Alpine Hotel, Poiana Brasov, $65-$80 double, $44-$65 single.

Restaurants worth noting: Castle Tihuta Hotel, Borgo Pass, $25-$35 for dinner for two; Golden Krone Hotel, Bistrita, $20-$30 for two; Vlad Dracula’s House, Sighisoara, $25-$35, and Carpathian Stag, Brasov, $14 per person for dinner, including a folkloric show.

For more information, contact the Romanian National Tourist Office, 573 3rd Ave., New York 10016, (212) 697-6971.