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Tucked away in the scenic mountains of Transylvania, Bran Castle is one of the most famous landmarks in Eastern Europe. With its dramatic setting, medieval design, and mysterious legends, the castle attracts travellers from around the world. Often linked to the story of Dracula, Bran Castle offers a mix of history, myth, and breathtaking views that make it truly unforgettable.

The History Behind Bran Castle

Bran Castle was originally built in the 14th century, around 1377, by the Saxons of the reg

Charalambos Andronos/Timişoara 2023/Janos Illesi

Annually since 1985, the cultural poobahs of the European Union have designated one or more of the continent's cities (and as of last year it's been three), as Capitals of Culture, focusing on their own cultural offerings and allowing them to organize a series of wider cultural events (many with a strong pan-European dimension) - which bring in considerable additional revenue; foster urban renewal; and raise their international profiles and image

 Old Parish Church Cemetery in Whitby, England

My obsession to travel to every site related to either the fictional Count Dracula or his real historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler, grew out of a visit to Whitby, England, where part of the novel Dracula takes place.  I stood on the cemetery hill (top) where, in Bram Stoker's Dracula Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray spent hour after hour sitting on their "favourite seat" (a bench placed over a suicide's grave near the edge of the c