Bram Stoker never visited Romania, but his 1897 novel Dracula borrowed the name of Vlad III, known as Vlad Țepeș (the Impaler), a 15th-century ruler of Wallachia famed for impaling his enemies. The gap between the historical figure and the fictional vampire is the starting point for Dracula mythology research.
The tourist trail includes Bran Castle, marketed as ‘Dracula’s Castle’; Sighișoara, Vlad’s birthplace, a UNESCO-listed medieval citadel; and the ruins of Poenari Fortress, linked to Vlad’s reign. These sites show how legend and history are packaged for visitors.
In 1995 a Dracula theme park was first proposed for Romania; the idea was revived as a government project in 2001 near Sighișoara, then dropped after public opposition, including criticism from Prince Charles, who said the park was out of sympathy with the area.
Related reading includes Viking history and archaeology in Norway, Central American revolution history in Nicaragua, and pre-Columbian art history in Mexico.

