Romania

Country-side of Dracula

Welcome to the place where I was born, Romania, the former kingdom of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula's real-life persona)! Direct descendants of Roman legionnaires who settled here more than 2000 years ago, Romanians will welcome you with bread, salt and wine. Mysterious castles and secluded monasteries are part of Romania's breathtaking Carpathian Mountains landscape.

Vlad is known in Romanian history as Vlad Tepes, that is, Vlad the Impaler, for his penchant for impaling invaders, criminals, and personal enemies alike. Although some of his victims appear to have been German colonists who built Bran Castle at the end of the 14th century, historians have cautioned that there is little or no connection at all between Vlad the Impaler and Bran Castle.

Carpathian Mountains

Bran Castle, Transylvania

Popularly known as "Dracula's Castle,"

Bran Castle
is spectacularly situated in the Transylvania. Vlad Tepes (the Impaler), brutal inspiration for the Dracula legend, probably never stayed here.

Vlad the Impaler

Dacians are a branch of Thracians that inhabitanted Dacia (corresponding to modern Romania and Moldova) and parts of Moesia (mostly in northern Bulgaria in southeastern Europe). The Dacian kingdom reached its maximum expansion during King Burebista. The region came under the scrutiny of Rome when the Roman province, bordering along the Danube, Moesia, was attacked by the Dacians in 87 AD during Emperor Domitian's reign. The Dacians were eventually defeated by the Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan in two campaigns stretching from 101 AD to 106 AD and the core of their kingdom was turned into the Roman province of Dacia..

Sucevitza Church and Monastery, Bukovina

Voronetz Monastery, Bukovina

The Peles Castle, Sinaia

Sibiu Statue of Gheorghe Lazar

The Museum of Arts and History, Iasi

The Athenaeum, Bucharest

Arcul de triumf - Bucharest

White Night of Bucharest Festival

University Square, Bucharest

with the statue of Mihai Viteazu in the foreground

National Theatre "I. L. Caragiale", Bucharest

Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest

Timisoara - Opera

Danube Delta

In the Danube Delta

Danube Delta Swan

Rpa Roie

Cheile-Aiudului

Rpa Roie

Merry Cemetery Spna, Maramure

Merry Cemetery Spna, Maramure

ALBA IULIA

POIANA BRASOV

Lake Colibita

landscape

Carpathian Mountains landscape

Buucegi Mountains Lake Bolboci

Carpathian Mountains Transfagarasan, lake Balea

Carpathian Mountains Apuseni

Carpathian Mountains - Brasov

Carpathian Mountains Sphinx in Bucegi

Lake BucuraRetezat Mountains

Mamaia - Black Sea

Constanta - Cazino