The Castle on the Hill

Benji Newman

In 2008, the forces in Hollywood decided that vampires would be in vogue.  They were ubiquitous throughout pop culture, and it was nearly impossible to escape the mythical creatures.  While many may not know the specifics of these new variations on the old theme, everyone knows the name Dracula.  Irish author Bram Stoker created the character over a century ago and his depiction of vampires is considered the inspiration for all that would follow.  Count Dracula, however, takes his name and place of origin from a real person, Vlad the Impaler of the House of Drăculești, who is famous for his exploits in beating back the Ottomans in the 15th century and is infamous for his cruelty.  His castle still stands in Romania, and it attracts visitors from all over the world. 

Being in Eastern Europe is a lot like being in the southern United States.  There are many places worth visiting, but if you’re driving, it will take a long time to get to any of them.  I drove from Sofia to Bucharest, which took about six hours, but the drive was surprisingly easy and actually quite stunning.  Bulgarian roads leave a lot to be desired, yet between the mountains, the plains, and the Danube River, the natural beauty of the region is apparent.

Bucharest was only a pit stop, though.  The real destination was Bran.  Deep in the heart of Transylvania, tourists visit this quaint little town for its infamous castle.  The drive from Bucharest to Bran is worthy of its own column, so I am doing it a great injustice by only giving it a few sentences.  It was simply the most beautiful scenery that I have ever driven through.  Though Peter Jackson chose New Zealand to create his version of Middle Earth, he easily could have chosen this area.  Rolling fogs, rising mountains, lush forests, sharp cliffs, and flowing rivers create an aura of both awe and fear with every turn.

Three hours later, I was finally in Bran.  Unfortunately, there was no thunder or wolf howls to greet us as we first laid eyes on the castle.  It strategically sits above the town on a small little hill, allowing you to see for miles in all directions.  The castle itself was rather mundane.  Rooms had been furnished to look like they would have when Vlad lived there, but if you have seen one medieval room, you have seen them all.  There were rooms full of knights’ armor and there were some cool little trinkets scattered throughout, but nothing too spectacular.  The most interesting part of the castle was the museum’s choice to print out Wikipedia articles about Dracula instead of actually having anything original.

This is not to say that you should not visit.  Not to be cliché, but the journey was more important than the destination.  Driving through Romania was an eye-opening experience, and made me completely change the way I think about Eastern Europe.  I used to think of Soviet housing blocks and failed Western invasions, but now I think of the natural beauty of the region.  Hungary fought hard to keep this region after its empire was broken up following World War I, and I understand why.  I cannot fathom what it was like to lose such a treasure.

Born and raised in the melting pot that is New York City, Benji Newman has always enjoyed being immersed in different cultures. He has studied, worked, and traveled all over Europe and hopes to visit South America in the near future. Graduating from the University of Michigan this spring, he will continue his studies in the fall by attending a Master's of International Economics and Affairs program.

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