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In The Footsteps Of Dracula

With your "Dracula" book in your hand, embark on a journey to retrace Dracula's footsteps and to experience the mysteries of the legend with this list of destinations created from the most popular novel in the world. Experience the vampire phenomena firsthand, as you follow this itinerary based on the locations traversed by the book's protagonists. Your journey begins in Transylvania ...

Transylvania

The Isle of Snagov and the Snagov Monastery - Cross a moat by rowboat to arrive at Vlad's tomb. The richly dressed corpse, exhumed in 1931, had been decapitated. In the place of a human skeleton were the bones of an animal.

Bran Castle - is a dark, gloomy edifice towering over a bed of stone, gruesome yet beautiful as a preserved fortress. The castle, built in 1377, is an important national monument and landmark of Transylvania, due not only to the majestic beauty of the castle and the uncanny landscape, but also to the legend of Count Dracula. In the park area, there is a open-air gypsy bazaar where you will find the best selection of Dracula dolls, shirts, souvenirs & memorabilia in Transylvania.

Brasov - one of three major centers in Transylvania established in Vlad's time. It was in Brasov that Vlad enjoyed his meals while hundreds of villagers died on stakes at the base of Timpa Hill. Also, don't miss to visit the "Black Church".

Sighisoara - the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe, and birthplace of Vlad. Visit the gory Torture room and Witch's Trial, the outdoor grave sites and historic Clock Tower.

The Borgo Pass - you will pass rivers, trees, swamps and mountains, capturing the essence of Harker's trail through the Carpethian Mountains.

Poenari Castle - most Dracula purists consider the Poenari Castle to be the true Castle of Dracula. The Citadel was built in 1459 by Turkish prisoners and served as a fortress for Vlad Dracula and his family. It also provided the Romanians with a nearly unreachable point of defense in guarding the entrance to the Arges Valley.

Hunedoara Castle - Vlad III Dracula was imprisoned in the Hunedoara Castle (1462) by the king Matthias Corvin. After 7 years Vlad Dracula was recognized at the court to be an devoted ally.

Slains Castle - Bram Stoker had never been to Transylvania, so he based his description of Dracula's Castle on castels he has seen in UK. Bram Stoker was staying in a hotel in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when he heard of nearby Slains Castle, which became transformed in the “castle of the dead”.

Whitby - Dracula arrives in England at Whitby. In this coastal town, Stoker spent his holidays. The story of the boat was taken from newspaper reports, such as that of August 11, 1890, which read that a Russian Schooner from the Black Sea had run ashore in Whitby. It is clear that Stoker rewrote these genuine newspaper reports in his novel. In Whitby you can visit the "Whitby Civic Society", where Barm Stoker stayed between 1890 and 1896.

London - After slaying a victim in the town, Count Dracula then moves south London; it was the voyage Stoker himself made upon his return from his holidays. Stoker also moved in the mundane circles of London and he used this in the novel too.

Highgate Cemetery is believed by many to form the backdrop for the climax of the novel. In the novel, friends of Lucy Westenra decide to stop her suffering as an undead. Her friends thus convene in a pub, Jack Straw’s Castle. The pub still exists. Though believed to be in nearby Highgate Cemetery, it has been shown that the voyage from Hampstead to Highgate does not correspond with the descriptions given in the book. Lucy’s “real” tomb was likely placed in Hendon Cemetery, in the opposite direction. In Hendon Cemetery, there is indeed a strange mausoleum, which perfectly fits the descriptions of Stoker’s novel. In reality, it is the tomb of Philip Rundall, a prominent member of Hendon’s community, who died in 1827. So, we recommend visiting both cemeteries.

Ireland

Clontarf - Bram Stoker was born in 1847 at 15 Marino Crescent, Clontarf. As a boy the author used to spend hours playing in the graveyard and St. Michan's Church, where the Stoker family had a burial vault.

Trinity College, Dublin - Bram Stoker attended Trinity College from 1864 to 1870. He graduated with honours in mathematics. He was auditor of the College Historical Society and president of the University Philosophical Society, where his first paper was on "Sensationalism in Fiction and Society".

Learn more about Dracula the historical character, the books, the movies and the legend at Dracula's blog.

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