Romania is usually approached by the international media agenda from three main perspectives: social, political, and entertaining. Filming in Romania often involves three main editorial topics: communism, corruption, and Dracula.
International production companies are still looking into this century-old myth that connects Romania to the wide world. Although Dracula has played the subject of many movies and controversies, it feels like there is always more to say about this spooky character that put Romania on the international map of the world.
Is Dracula a thing in Romania? This would be one of the first questions to ask coming from a documentary producer who plans to come and film in Romania. Creative TV producers are eager to get into the land of Dracula in search of mysteries and spooky stories. But how much is fiction? And how much is a true Romanian story?
Most of us are aware that Bram Stocker, a well-known British writer, was the person who made Dracula the international character we all know today. Portrayed as a vampire killing beautiful women, Dracula is often seen in Romania as a grotesque character made for kids.
The true character that Romanians fear and who might be the inspiration for fictional Dracula is Vlad the Impaler – a thirsty-for-blood medieval ruler who was the leader of Walachia, aka Tara Romaneasca back in ancient times. But how did the two of them mixed up? Because, when it comes to Dracula in Romania most of the people share stories about Vlad the Impaler. The confusion is made mostly because of the name Dracul, who was the sir’s name for Vlad. In Romanian, Dracul is translated as “the devil”.
In this shadow of history, Romania has taken Dracula as a national brand, being inspired by Vlad the Impaler. Proof of Dracula in Romania is not much. Believe it or not, Romania has not exploited this Dracula brand as much as they could. The most famous castle that stands as Dracula Castle is the Bran Castle – one of the most iconic places in Romania. Dracula is not connected to the castle’s story.
The similarities between Bram Stocker’s book’s castle and the one in Bran village are the only connection between Dracula and Bran Castle. Bran Castle was the last residence of Queen Mary of Romania who restored the place and personalized it. The most spooky aspect of the castle can be seen in a torture room exhibit and an underground interactive museum for children.
Following the history line, we can discover that Bran Castle was a strategic point for Vlad the Impaler during his leading, being the border of Walachia with Transilvania * that was under the domination of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Therefore, Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned a couple of times inside the Bran Castle, but he never had the chance to showcase his brutality in this place.
Bran Castle has become the filming location for many international documentaries that have traveled to Romania, partly because of its impressive appearance and versatility in filming locations.
Vlad the Impaler, who was the inspiration for Dracula’s vampire in Romania, was also well-known for building the strongest medieval citadel that never fell. Peonari Citadel is the place to see if you want to understand the bloody history of Romania. Based on Arges county the citadel is a statement of power and domination. Very hard to access, the citadel is separated by over 1400 stairs from the main road, after climbing a dense bleach tree forest. Poenari citadel is considered the last establishment of Vlad the Impaler and also the place where his wife decided to take her life.
That is truly a haunted place. It is said that above the citadel it’s always a cloud levitating. Rumors say that this would be the spirit of Vlad’s wife who is still looking for peace and watching the citadel for intruders.
When it comes to Dracula in Romania, another aspect that we need to clear is the vampire one. Vampires are not a thing in Romania, but strigoi are. This very popular term is used by Romanians to express a living dead. The manifestation of a strigoi is often caused by a lack of peace in the spirit, which often returns to haunt the family and take what is theirs.
The strigoi ritual is still practiced by many rural communities in Romania. This ritual depends on the region. And is meant to kill the living dead for good. In the Oltenia area of Romania, for example, people tend to take this strigoi business very seriously. The most simple ritual to make a strigoi disappear is to eat his burned heart’s ashes. Yeah, I know it sounds pretty scary, but for the people who are doing this kind of practice, this is the most efficient and sure way to get rid of the unpleasant spirit of a strigoi. In other words, they truly believe in this ancient tradition and still practice it.
Coming back to our Dracula vampire in Romania, many accommodations offer a stay in Dracula’s house. From old restored buildings like Transilvania Hotel to more modern places like Hotel Castle Dracula, Romania offers plenty of accommodation options for the ones who are looking to feel the Dracula vibe.
For the ones who are looking for a real connection with the historical living place of Vlad, Sighisoara is the place to go. Sighisoara Citadel is by far one of the best film locations in Romania. The best-preserved inhabited citadel in Romania is also known for having the true Dracula house – the place where Vlad the Impaler spent his first years. Now working as a restaurant, Casa Vlad Dracul is a nice way to try the local dishes and also visit the place.
For an accurate picture of how Dracula can be filmed in Romania, I recommend speaking with a local researcher/fixer/local producer in Romania who can offer an honest picture of the best film locations related to Dracula. The internet can offer misleading information that can be tricky, particularly with a word that is frequently used about Romania.
