The folks in charge Romanian tourism are promoting the claim that Prince Charles is descended from Count Dracula in attempt to lure visitors. Links between the Royal Family and Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century inspiration for the Dracula legend, are being exploited in the hopes that it will trigger more visits from vampire-crazed tourists.…
Tag: vlad tepes
5 Places to Have a Historic and Eerie Vampiric Adventure
My idea of a perfect vacation is a trip full of history, gorgeous architecture, and haunting landscapes. I adore ancient ruins taken over by nature, cemeteries so timeworn you can no longer read the names engraved upon the headstones, breathtaking castles and old cities and towns bursting with historic and stunning landmarks. This is what…
The Truth About Real Vampires Today
Fanged creatures secretly prowl among us, lurking in obsidian shadows, quietly watching us from behind dark sunglasses, their narrowed gazes fixed upon luscious prey. The vampire’s excruciatingly sharp needle-like fangs flash under the moonlight as he grabs his victim, one hand over her mouth, the other tightly wound around her waist. He strikes deep and…
The Vampire Princess
Odds are you (like most people) have never heard of Princess Eleonore Elisabeth Amalia Magdalena von Lobkowicz. A quite important (or at least wealthy and highly placed) person in her day–the first half of the 18th century, roughly–she vanished into obscurity along with countless others who had position and power yet did little enough to…
Visiting Dracula’s castle in Romania
Brasov, Romania is home to what is left of Poenari Castle. These ruins sit high on a mountain peak and have a gorgeous Romanian view for visitors to enjoy. But travelers don’t come to this castle for its view, but for its connection to history’s most famous vampire, Dracula. Now, before I continue, I am…
Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker, the father of modern vampires, forever changed the world when he penned Dracula. This legendary author created a masterpiece, one that continues to inspire people today. While most of us have read Dracula, watched the film adaptations and so on, very few know anything about this influential author, so here’s a look into…
Ten Things You Don’t Know About Dracula
1. He never once hints that he himself is Vlad the Impaler (although there is the suggestion that maybe he is related to that figure). For that matter, the most current scholarship into the novel indicates Stoker himself hardly knew anything more about the historical Vlad Tepes (pronounced tseh-PESH) than the name. It sounded good,…
The Real Dracula
It’s pretty much common knowledge that Bram Stoker based his title character Dracula on an actual person, Vlad Tepes (1431-1476). But what’s the story of the real Dracula? Was Vlad the Impaler really a vampire, or vampiric in any way? Let’s see… Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad Dracula, Vlad Dracul, Vlad the Impaler, Vlad …
Bathory – 2008 film
Bathory weaves a thought-provoking alternate tale of the infamous Countess Báthory Erzsébet. Was she a victim of religious political conspiracy and greed? Whatever you believe, the movie provides potential answers to the stories of legend about the vampire countess. A sub-plot reveals a romantic relationship between the countess and Caravaggio, yes, the famous Baroque painter.…