Halloween in Transylvania

This was a very memorable trip! Our group only encountered two problems along the way. First, if you want plain water to drink, you have to ask for uncarbonated water. On almost every occasion, we had to ask. For those unaccustomed to carbonated water, a big sip will not go a long way! Second, the kids begged relentlessly! We were followed around, and even when we ignored them, they continued to beg. Attempts to give food instead of money were refused. We had no problems exchanging money, and everyone was extremely nice to us!

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Lebada is a beautiful castle, with beautiful weeping willow trees and manicured pathways to walk on. The hotel has served several purposes in the past: it had been used as a prison, then a convent, once again as a prison, and was recently converted into a luxury hotel. It sits on an island in the middle of a lake, but one is still near enough to the city. Our room was quite large and had casement windows. The lights in the hallway were on a sensor and had a habit of coming on and off while we walked down the hall. There were many others staying here besides our group, but it was an extremely quiet place!

Our room at the Aro was quite small; however, the size was immediately compensated for by the view! From our window, we were able to look out upon a small park with relatively little vehicular traffic to ruin the sight. One could see several castles sitting on the distant hillside, as well as two older churches with beautiful domes directly behind the little park. It was very picturesque! We were only a short walk away from the historic city center of Brasov. It was a very convenient base from which to explore.

This is the hotel where Jonathan Harker stayed in the novel Dracula. Although there wasn't really a hotel here when Stoker dreamed up his story, it was later built to encourage the tourists to visit. Again, our room was small, with no real view.

The castle rises over 1,000m on the same spot that Stoker used for his Dracula's castle. The views of the Borgo Pass are beautiful. A ski lift is next to the castle, and when you reach the top of the lift, the views are extraordinary, even if there's no snow (there wasn't when we were there). Our visit was during an unseasonably warm period. There is also a small marketplace just outside the castle.

Our room was small, but its location around the corner from the historic city center of Sibiu made it a convenient base for exploration. The nearby bat park was a must-see (even though we could only hear the bats!).

Not content to just pull up in our tour buses, we arrived by horse-drawn carriage. We only traveled a short distance by wagon, but we travelled along a winding mountain road, looking at beautiful waterfalls. We were welcomed with heated pear brandy as we entered the chalet-style restaurant. Our group was given the loft that ran the perimeter of the restaurant to dine in. We had a three-course meal consisting of local cuisine.

This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside (or as you approach it), but the food was excellent! For less than $10, we got soup, salad, and a chicken entree.

Bran lies in a mountain pass. The castle was not built by Dracula, as many think, but was built by Saxons to defend the pass from the Turks. The castle stands on top of a 60m peak. The entrance is up a very narrow stone stairway--very dramatic! Inside is a maze of narrow passageways, and it even has a hidden staircase. The rooms are decorated with ornately carved furniture. The views are beautiful!

There is a very touristy market down in the village where you can buy almost anything to do with blood and gore. Not being exactly what I had in mind, I settled for vampire wine and vodka!

The Black Church dominates the medieval city center. It is an important and imposing structure. We ran into a bit of a problem with the guard in the church and the fact that some of the groups were slow to put away their cameras. Rich tapestries hang from the balconies, and Persian rugs are also on display. The pipe organ came from Prague and uses water pressure to create its unique sound. The area is only for pedestrian traffic, and the streets are lined with cobblestones. A shopping area is just off the square and has a beautiful fountain and a lovely clock tower.

Sighisoara is a 13th-century city. Vlad I (Dracula's father) was from a family of warriors, and he lived here for six years, employed to defend the city. Vlad Dracula was born here, and a small plaque on the corner of the house commemorates this event.

On the edge of the walled city stands a huge clock tower, with impressive views of the more modern city below. It also contains a history museum, torture chamber, and a medieval weapons collection. The Church of the Dominican Monastery stands beside the clock tower. We witnessed a reenactment of a Romanian Witch Trial in the square--not for the squeamish at heart. The crowd gathered and worked itself into a frenzy. They walked to the accused's house, dragged her out, and beat her. They dragged her back to the square and listened to the testimony against her. From what our guide told us, the person who accused a woman of being a witch would receive everything she owned when tried and convicted. Seems like a pretty good incentive to say someone was a witch! Our "witch" was saved when one of the townsmen came forward and offered to marry her (wonder if she preferred marriage over death!).

There are many shops along the streets and a few restaurants. You can even take a carriage ride around the city.

Our group next walked to the "Haunted Staircase". This is the entrance to an old cemetery and is a fully covered wooden staircase with 172 steps. Legend has it that if you linger more than 10 seconds on your way to the top, your soul will be stolen. The cemetery at the top is very quiet and eerie and has beautiful views of the countryside.

We walked up a very busy street to a cemetery that sparkled in the dark of night. People had placed tea lights and flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Some candles had been placed in the form of crosses; some outlined the edges of the gravestones. Standing at the bottom of the cemetery inside the entrance and looking up the hill, one could see thousands of sparkling lights. It was a beautiful sight! I'm glad we were with a group, though, and I thank our tour guide for including this stop!

Sibiu was a beautiful city! The roofs of the building surrounding the square had windows that resembled cat eyes. They were used for ventilation to preserve wheat.

Sibiu is the only Gothic city in Europe that still has its original buildings. The cathedral was beautiful! In the crypt is the tomb of Mihnea Voda cel Rau (Prince Mihnea the Bad), the son of Vlad Tepes who ruled from 1507 to 1510 and was murdered on the square in front of the church. Our guide told us that Mary Shelly adapted the legend into her story Frankenstein. There was a family in Sibiu that had a child with a deformity, and they hid the child because of the shame it brought the family. Of course, the child got out and scared everyone, who thought it must be a curse to create such a monster.

Continuing our walk through the city center, we came to The Iron Bridge. It is also nicknamed the "Liar's Bridge" for tricky merchants who met to trade and young lovers who declared their "undying" love for each other on it.

On our journey to Poenari Castle, we stopped at an Orthodox monastery. There were flowers planted along the walkways, and several fountains were running. On the outside walls at the entrance were paintings, and inside the church, we saw paintings of the Dracula family. The church was beautiful inside. Outside, there is a woman who sells homemade honey. We bought some and found that it was delicious!

Poienari Castle was really Dracula's castle. The Turks built the defensive fortress. The castle strategically guards the entrance to Transylvania into the Arges Valley. This is not for those who are not up to active pursuits, as there are 1,500 steps up to the ruins. We took our pictures and looked around, but didn't stay long--we didn't want to be up there when it got dark!

A short walk down the side street from our hotel brought us to this theme restaurant. There was an upstairs and a downstairs, and since we were such a large group, we had the place to ourselves. It was lit by candlelight, and a fog machine was going for effect. Tables were arranged in groups of four or six. The decor was similar to a hunting lodge, and there were disembodied heads floating around and even some arms and legs scattered around on the walls. The Count himself made a short appearance to allow us some photo opportunities. We hoped he wouldn't show up in the pictures when they were developed! All in all, it was another great meal which, unfortunately, signalled the end of a great experience.

One of the most memorable moments of this trip was our arrival at Snagov Monastery. The morning began with an eerie fog, which only intensified as we approached the area around Snagov. Our guide told us it was because there were several lakes in the surrounding area. In small groups of four or five, we climbed into tiny wooden rowboats to be ferried across the lake. You could not see more than a few feet in front of you! Only when you approached the dock on the other side of the lake could you see the buildings on the island. Dracula is supposedly buried below the dome. When the grave was opened in 1931, it held only horse bones. Our guide explained that "stragi" (the Romanian form of vampire) were trapped souls that were neither alive nor dead, and that they could not die and cross over until they sucked a soul from a living person. Having accomplished this, they would turn into a horse and die. It was at this point that they were allowed to enter into the afterworld. Could this explain the horse bones they found? A headless torso was also found; perhaps this was the unfortunate person who lost his soul?

Bring extra money with you. Even though our guide paid in advance to allow us access to the monastery and for the boats across and back, several of the rowers demanded $1 per person to take us back!