Maybe it is the complex storyline of True Blood, HBO’s hit series about vampires and werewolves in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, or maybe it is Bram Stoker’s century-old tale about Romania’s tragic Count Dracula, but people continue to be fascinated with vampires and the undead – and anything that has to do with the vampire legend. This includes Romania www.romaniatourism.com, where many of the myths originated.

“We got so many calls from travelers who want to explore the ‘true land of the vampires’ that we decided to create a special vacation package. ‘True Romania’ lets you discover many secrets about Dracula - also known as Vlad the Impaler - together with a professional guide, who will show you the real treasures of Romania and its best known central region, Transylvania,” notes Bram Majtlis, president of Austrian Airlines Vacation Center www.austrianair-vacations.com (and no, he was not named after Mr. Stoker).

The weeklong True Romania Tour package www.austrianair-vacations.com/TrueRomaniaTour, priced at $1,999 per person, double occupancy, starts with two nights at the Hotel Golden Tulip Victoria Bucharest.  On the morning of the third day, you will meet your personal driver/guide to start your private ‘Dracula’ tour through Romania’s countryside in a comfortable, air-conditioned sedan.

This tour tells the ‘True Story of Dracula’ www.romaniatourism.com/dracula-legend.html. It takes you from Bucharest to Curtea de Arges, where you visit the 14^th century ruins of the Old Princely Court built by Vlad’s ancestors, as well as Manole’s Monastery and the Monastery of Curtea de Arges (early 16th century), one of the most famous buildings in Romania.  Then, travel on to Cozia Monastery, built in the 1300s by Dracula’s grandfather, Prince Mircea the Old, and through the lovely Olt Valley to Sibiu, once the richest town in Transylvania. Enjoy dinner and overnight in a traditional farmhouse in the village of Sibiel, outside of Sibiu.

The next day starts with a city tour of Sibiu, including the Evangelic Cathedral. Vlad’s son, Mihnea, who was assassinated right outside the church, is buried there. Then, visit the town of Medias, where Vlad was held prisoner, before traveling to the Saxon village of Biertan to visit the fortress church that is now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Overnight in Sighisoara.

Sighisoara is Romania’s best-preserved medieval town. Take a walking tour in the morning to visit the Clock Tower Museum, the Armor Room and Torture Room, and finally, the house where Dracula was born in 1431. Depart for Brasov, founded in the 12^th century by Saxon settlers, and visit the Black Church, the largest gothic-style church in Southeastern Europe.

A visit to Bran and Bran Castle, the setting for Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ novel, concludes your tour. But rather than (not) sleeping here, you will spend the night in Sinaia, a beautiful mountain resort nearby. Your final day in Romania includes a stop at the Peles Castle before returning to the Hotel Golden Tulip Victoria Bucharest for your last night, and you’ll fly back to the US the next morning.

If you only want to go for a long weekend (say, right around Halloween?), a second True Romania package www.austrianair-vacations.com/TrueRomania  including three nights in Bucharest and a full day (10 hour) private tour to Brasov and Sinaia is available for $1,499 per person, double occupancy. Entrance fees plus lunch en-route are included.

Both packages, valid for travel between September 1 and December 9, 2010, need to be booked by a minimum of two people. They include roundtrip air, economy class on Austrian Air from either New York (JFK) or Washington, DC (IAD), hotel accommodations, daily buffet breakfast and hotel service charges.  A weekend surcharge applies. Extension nights in Bucharest and upgrades are available upon request, as are rates for travel during other dates. Advance reservations, at least 14 days prior to departure, are recommended. All travelers will receive a full-size map and a travel planner and will be entered to win a copy of the newly published book Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies: Compendium Monstrum.

“We are thrilled that True Blood has generated additional interest in our beautiful country,” says Simion Alb, director of the Romanian National Tourist Office in New York www.romaniatourism.com. “We expect that travelers first decide they want to visit because they are intrigued with our famous Count Dracula, but then … they’ll discover the ‘True Romania,’ with its majestic Carpathian mountains, medieval castles, charming villages and friendly people. We have so much natural beauty, culture and history to offer!”

The True Romania vacation packages must be paid in full within 7 days after reservations are confirmed, and no later than 14 days prior to departure. Once confirmed, the packages are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be changed. All packages will be booked on Austrian Airlines in economy class and are subject to schedule and space availability. Minimum stay is 3 nights or one Saturday overnight, and the maximum stay in Europe is 30 days. City Steals package prices include fuel surcharges but do not include US Customs / INS / Aphis fees / International Transportation Tax / Passenger Facility Charges / Civil Aviation Security Fee / domestic and foreign Security and Airport Charges of approximately USD $175 per passenger, depending on the itinerary. Additional taxes and fees may be collected by foreign governments.  All taxes / fees / surcharges are subject to change and exchange rate fluctuations and may vary on the day of booking.

Further details may be found on www.austrianair-vacations.com. For additional information or to make reservations, contact Austrian Airlines Vacation Center at (800) 790-4682, or via email: info@austrianair-vacations.com.

About IMTC: Austrian Airlines Vacation Center is a division of IMTC (International Marketing & Travel Concepts, Inc.) and specializes in individual vacation packages from the USA to European destinations on Austrian Air. IMTC was founded in 1992 by Bram Majtlis, President, and the privately-held company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Other IMTC divisions include: IMTC/Pegasus, IMTC Concerts, Gold Concepts Public Relations and EdiTour.

About The Romanian National Tourist Office — North America: (RoNTO) is the official representative of the Romanian Ministry of Tourism in the USA and Canada. Founded in 1968 to satisfy the growing demand for trusted information and knowledge about tourism and travel to Romania, RoNTO's mission is to represent all the components of Romania's travel industry and to promote and facilitate increased inbound travel from North America to Romania.

For images, check http://www.romaniatourism.com/images-of-romania.html