Bran Castle, 'Dracula's Castle'
A Transylvanian castle on a rocky crag is sold as Dracula's home, though its links to him are mostly imagination.
What was reported
Bran Castle stands on a rock above a mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia, first built in the 1370s. It's promoted as 'Dracula's Castle', and visitors come from all over the world.
Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897) placed the count's castle in the Carpathians, and the character took his name from Vlad III, a 15th-century prince of Wallachia.
Explanations offered
There's no evidence that Stoker knew of Bran, which doesn't match the novel's description well, and Vlad III's link to the castle is slight. Its fame comes from tourism and its dramatic setting. In the 20th century it was a home of Queen Marie of Romania.
- When
- Linked to Dracula in the 20th century
- Where
- Bran, Brașov, Romania
- Witnesses
- Millions of visitors
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.