Castle hopping through Transylvania

Transylvania is dotted with castles and ancient fortresses like this one. We snapped a photo from the car as we drove by.  What follows is a peek at 3 places we stopped to explore:

Dracula's Castle in Bran

The headquarters of Vlad Tepes Dracula (Vlad the Impaler, to his friends). We were impressed with how it is built into this steep rock.

When we entered the doorway, we saw a sign that seemed appropriate:

That set the mood for what we antipated seeing. However, it actually just means "be careful on the stairs".

An innocent looking living area. But how did he acquire that bear rug?  Was that a trophy from a night hunt to quench his thirst for blood?

Could this be where he slept when the coffin got uncomfortable?

This close up of his family tree shows his father's name, Vlad Dracul. Dracula means "son of Dracul".

Vlad had an army called the Knights of the Teutonic Order. We suppose this was the dress for battle.

and this was what they wore at court.  But where are the vampires? Are we in the right place?

Well, it turns out that Vlad the Impaler might have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's character partly because of his well-earned reputation for the brutal way he killed his enemies. But he never was as famous as the fictional Dracula.

A parting view of the courtyard and the wonderful view of the mountains in the distance.

Next stop - the ancient fortress in Deva built in the 1300's.  Nowadays you access the site via a gondola up the mountain.

They built a series of outer walls in concentric circles to protect the fortress - each wall a little higher and closer to the fortress than the last.

Even after the gondola ride, there are more stairs to reach the fortress.

This caught out attention as we climbed the stairs!

Inside the ruins at last.

Here's a couple of relics that fit right into the surroundings.

It was a cloudy, drizzly day but in one direction was the view of the city of Deva.

In the other was the farmland and the mountains beyond.

The day cleared up as we visited Corvin Castle in Hunedoara.  The top of the tall middle spire is cut off in this photo. 

This is what is on top of the spire. This sculpture of a knight was mounted on the spire in 1853. You can see the date (shown backwards here) on the flag he is holding.

This beautiful edifice was the home of 5 different monarchs - each did their own additions making it an enormous castle.

We enjoyed these costumed characters who played their roles as castle residents.

There was a moat, but the original drawbridge is now a permanent ramp.

These "battle-worn" old guards weren't so tough.

These young guards seemed to be waiting to hear the secret password.  We figured it was "Can I take your picture?"

The family crests of the various monarchies grace the rafters of this impressive room. One of the newer additions to the caste.

In a much older section, we were struck by how high the mantle is on this fireplace. The tag Vicky's wearing means she paid for the privilege to take pictures.

A definite change in ambiance as we moved along.

This lookout shows how thick the walls are - over 5 feet!

Into yet another addition. More refined workmanship here.

There is a legend about the well in this courtyard.  In the mid 15th century the well was dug by 3 Turkish prisoners to whom the king promised freedom, if they found water.  The prisoners dug in rock for 15 years and at a depth of 28 meters, finally found the precious water. In the meantime, the king died and his wife decided not to honor the king's promise, but to kill the prisoners instead.  Apparently on the walls of the well was found etched an inscription that said, "you may have water, but you have no soul".

The bear's pit.  A space between two walls where legend has it that prisoners were thrown to the wild beast that was kept there.

Ornate outer wall of one of the sections of the castle. Note the carvings of black ravens - an important symbol to one of the monarchs.

The story was that as a young child he was given a gold ring to signify that he would become king.  While playing at a picnic he left the ring behind.  A raven picked up the shiny object and dropped it in his lap as they rode in a carriage back to the castle. Thus the insignia on the family crest.

Lovely classic turrets.  We can just imagine Rapunzel sitting at the window! Enough time spent frolicking through Transylvanian history.  Now, back to work!