aliente

I'm dying to go to Romania, specifically Transylvania to see not only the country and the culture, but to see the setting of Bram Stoker's novel. I'm NOT looking for cheesy 'Dracula' tours and knick knacks, I'm fully versed in the history of the area and the difference between fact and fiction.

However I do absolutely adore old-school vampire lore, and Bram Stoker's Dracula was so beautifully descriptive that I've been dying to see it for myself ever since. I have all the time in the world to plan an old school Vampire Lover's trip and am looking for any and all suggestions on when to go, where to go, what to do, and any other interesting vampire destinations people would like to suggest. Please- nothing from Twilight.

flat4

How much time will you have in Transylvania? Definitely visit the main three historic cities (Sibiu, Brasov and Sighisoara), see some of the old German villages with fortified churches around them (especially Biertan and Viscri) and do a few hikes into the southern Carpathians - not that these places would have much to do with vampire stuff (except maybe Sighisoara), but they are the most interesting destinations there.

bilboburgler

Not sure Bram got far beyond Scarborough. Try there or Robin Hoods bay

hetismij

Whitby surely?

Bram never made it to Eastern Europe, but he did like the US.

aliente

Bilboburgler- indeed Stoker did not visit Transylvania until 5 years after he wrote the book. And much of his information on the area is inaccurate. He actually never intended to even use Vlad Tepes or Transylvania in the first place; much of his 'Dracul' references are very abstract and loose interpretations of the historical figure. He relied on what he read on the area and on Tepes and then chose which things to include and what to embellish or completely make up.

All of which is irrelevant, though, as far as my trip is concerned. I'm not interested in trying to retrace Stoker's Dracula or seeing the Carpathians as he described them. It's entirely based on a long and obsessive fascination with vampires- in literature, film, cultural history and folklore, etc. Stoker's novel just happens to be my personal favorite, and Transylvania- both it's accurate history and it's mythical, otherworldly dimension- are my Graceland, as it were.

On a sidenote- Stoker wasn't going for a geographically and historically accurate account of the country as a backdrop for a living-dead man who survives on blood and sleeping in a coffin. Ok, I realize that was preachy and long-winded, but, again, I'm obsessed.

So if you have any other suggestions, shoot.

aliente

hetismjj-

I guess I should clarify. I'm not trying to re-enact Stoker's book. It was the world he created surrounding a region already rich with folklore and vampire myths even aside from Vlad Tepes that I loved reading about.

And it was the world he wrote about in which I became enthralled and subsequently spent a lot of time researching Romania and Transylvania outside of the novel. It is certainly not the home of the original vampire, and vampire lore did not begin there, not even close. It's simply an actual, real geographical place that became the backdrop for my favorite vampire story. Plus, it's just a cool and beautiful place, again, with a fascinating place in history.

flat4-
Thank you for the suggestions. I am planning this so far in advance that I hope to have as much time as I want. I'm not looking to 'hunt Dracula' or anything. I just want to spend a good chunk of time immersing myself in the country and make my way through as much as I can.

Dukey1

Aliente, it really sounds as if you've got it all figured out already. You want this, you don't want that, etc., Sorry, but exactly what do you want from us?

colonna

Hi-- search the NYTimes for "In Transylvania, a Count Invites You to His Castle". I've been saving the article for years, can't find it right now.

Please report back after your trip!

Michael

Aliente has not posted in two years, and only on this thread. Must have moved on.