In the historic region of Transylvania, Romania

 “How good and thoughtful he is; the world seems full of good men, even if there are monsters in it.” -- Bram Stoker, Dracula

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(in the historic Romanian region of Transylvania) After forming part of Hungary in the 11th–16th centuries, Transylvania was a principality within the Ottoman Empire by the end of the 17th century. It was incorporated into Romania in the first half of the 20th century. In addition to its Hungarian and Romanian heritage, Transylvania retains traces of a Saxon (German) cultural tradition dating back to the arrival in the Middle Ages of a population of German speakers. Seven historically Saxon villages that feature well-preserved fortified churches were inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites between 1993 and 1999. The historic center of Sighișoara, also a Saxon settlement, was inscribed in 1999 as well.
+ When Austria-Hungary was defeated in WWI, the Romanians reclaimed Transylvania, reunited with Romania. In 1920 the Allies confirmed the union in the Treaty of Trianon. Hungary regained much of Transylvania during World War II, until the whole region was ceded to Romania in 1947.

+ Transylvania’s forested valleys and Gothic castles have long been embedded in the popular imagination. Most visitors can picture this land of dark fairy-tales, where fog drapes like cobwebs over the Carpathians. Explore these stirring landscapes on hikes through Piatra Craiului National Park, or the Bucegi and the Apuseni Mountains. Then, indulge your medieval fantasies among the watchtowers and cobbled lanes of Brasov and Sighişoara or venture to Transylvania’s castles: world-famous Bran, ornate Peles, and Hunedoara’s Gothic apparition. Rural Transylvania's tapestry of cultures awaits: vibrant Roma communities, Székely Land hamlets where only Hungarian is spoken, and Saxon villages with their citadels. Here, standstill traffic means horses and carts waiting patiently for herds of goats to scatter. Transylvania still satisfies vampire tourists -- and enthrals them with its edgy cities and villages that time has forgot.

+ Rising above the town of Bran in Brașov County on a rocky promontory, Bran Castle (shown here) holds its visitors in thrall. An entire industry has sprouted, describing it as "Dracula’s Castle," though connections to either the historical Vlad Ţepeş or Bram Stoker’s fictional vampire are rather thin. The liberties taken with Bran’s reputation, however, are soon forgotten during a visit: people climb up its conical towers, admiring views over thick forest, and stroll through creaky-floored rooms furnished with bearskin rugs and 19th-century antiques.

+ The town of Bran was offered to Queen Maria of Romania in 1920, as thanks for her efforts in uniting the country. As a result, tourists learn more about Queen Maria than Dracula. Just one room exhibits an account of Romanian vampire lore, and displays on Vlad Ţepeş ("the Impaler") and author Bram Stoker, while several are devoted to Maria.