In the city of Sighișoara, region of Transilvania, Romania

 “In torment, there was release.

In the darkness, there was light.
In solitude, there were companions.”
― C.C. Humphreys, Vlad: The Last Confession
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(on the Târnava Mare River in Mureș County in Romania's historical region of Transylvania) The city of Sighișoara is a popular tourist destination that is known for its well-preserved Old Town, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sighişoara’s pastel-colored buildings, stony lanes, and medieval towers offer an irresistible opportunity for exploration (i.e., without digging too deeply into this beguiling place). Fortified walls encircle Sighişoara’s lustrous merchant houses, now harboring cafes, hotels, and craft shops. Lurking in the shadows of the gingerbread roofs and turrets of the Old Town, however, is the history of Vlad Ţepeş, the notorious 15th-century Wallachian prince who was allegedly born here, in a house that can be visited yet today. Ţepeş is best remembered as Vlad the Impaler, or Dracula, fueling a local industry here, of vampire-themed souvenirs. Find the courage to venture along the alleys, hike to the hilltop church, and sip coffee at cafes that are now some 500 years old. (Sighişoara also makes far a great jumping-off point to explore nearby Saxon villages, such as Viscri and Biertan.)