What would it take for you to climb 1,480 concrete steps? Did I mention you climb through a dense forest inhabited by brown bears? There is electric perimeter fencing, if that reassures you. This strenuous hike can take thirty to forty minutes one way. And you better be in good shape, because there’s only one way up and down at Poenari Castle.
Poenari Castle sits over 1,300 feet above the Arges River. The cliff face is over 2,700 feet above sea level!
Are you asking what is so special about this castle? Why would anyone go to so much trouble (and risk) to see some old building? Roughly five thousand people a year think the challenge is worth the danger.
The castle is uninhabited these days. No one has lived there since about 1522. It was used as a residence and fortress by Vlad III of Wallachia, also known as Vlad Draculea and Vlad the Impaler. Yes, Dracula.
Early in the 13th century, it was built by the rulers of Wallachia. In the 15th century, Vlad III repaired and reinforced the castle to create a virtually unreachable stronghold against the Ottoman Empire’s military as they attempted to invade Wallachia. Using local disloyal nobles, he set their punishment to be rebuildin the ruins, forcing them to work until their fine clothes fell apart. The “boyars” who had plotted against his family were arrested and sent up the cliff to perform backbreaking work.
Because of its remote location, the structure was ideal for a defensive position. With a wide view of the valley below, and the added advantage of hidden escape routes that led into the dense Carpathian Mountains, it was ideal for secret attacks as well.
By the 16th century the fortress had been abandoned. An earthquake further decimated the structure.
Sadly, poor old Vlad died when his army while fighting the Ottoman troops as well as disloyal Wallachians. It was also rumored that he was accidentally killed by his own army. After his death he was decapitated and his head was sent to Constantinople and presented to Sultan Mehmed ll, who displayed it for all to see. No one seems to know where the rest of him is buried. There are a few theories including a monastery in Romania or possibly Naples, Italy.
Flash forward to 1890 when an Irish writer, Bram Stoker, began his novel Dracula. It took him seven years to complete. Stoker wanted to write a Gothic horror story that would also highlight the Victorian era’s advances from old-world superstitions to the modern-day sciences. In addition, Stoker showed the females in his novel as intelligent and sexual. That was quite a shock for many Victorians, I’m sure.
So, would you be willing to climb all those steps to the original fortress of Vlad the Impaler? If you feel that adventure is beyond your abilities, you can always visit Bran Castle. Vlad never lived there. But it is marketed as Dracula’s Castle. It is a 14th-century medieval fortress on a rocky cliff. This is not a trip for wheelchairs or people with health conditions. However, there is market with tourist stalls selling souvenirs and T-shirts that is more accessible.
Between the Beats 