Bran Castle - Fascination and Mystery

We invite you to ride the old trade road linking the old town of Braşov to the former capital of Vallachia – Câmpulung Muscel. By taking the road of the past traders, at only a few kilometres of Braşov, we enter Râşnov – the city of roses, a small medieval locality. The town is located at the foot of the old citadel, one of the best preserved in Transylvania, whose walls rule over the surroundings from a cliffy hill, offering a wide panorama over the large depression of Brașov.
By continuing our route, we reach Zărneşti, the gateway to Piatra Craiului National Park. From far away, Mount Piatra Craiului seems a remote limestone crest, rising steeply out of the multitude of mild peaks, lost in the surrounding forests. The mount holds numerous floristic endemisms, the most prestigious being garofița Pietrei Craiului (Dianthus Callizonus).
By crossing Valea Zărneștilor (Zărnești Valley), we reach Măgura, a locality holding old rural homes scattered amongst the hills at the treed foot of Mount Măgura (1375 m).
By admiring the pastoral atmosphere offered by this fairy-like landscape, we reach Peștera Village - the ideal place for looking at the unique panoramas over Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains, and then by continuing our way to the Rucăr – Bran couloir, the old access road between the two Romanian provinces – Transylvania and Vallachia –, we will reach Moeciu de Sus, a wonderful departure point for reaching the surrounding heights. The region holds numerous traditional creation centres and especially artistic wood processing centres.
We descend then the old trade and strategic road to Bran, a climatic resort in bloom and a national centre of rural, ecological, and cultural tourism.
We will stop here to visit the famous Bran Castle, nested by the Meridional Carpathians and built by the inhabitants of Braşov between 1377-1382 on a 60-metre cliff.

The castle has been owned especially by the lords of these regions and it has lost its defensive goal in time, the inhabitants of Braşov giving it to Queen Mary in 1920, who rearranges it and transforms it into a real royal summer residence.
The celebrity of the castle is due to the legend of vampire Dracula, associated with the ruler Vlad Ţepeş and attracting an impressive number of Romanian and foreign tourists. A part of the park surrounding the castle holds a small museum of traditional architecture, with houses found in this region, some of them dating back to the 18th century. The Chapel of the Queen – Stella Maris, copy of the church in Balcic, Bulgaria (another royal summer residence), built in Bran by Princess Ileana, the last daughter of the Queen, has held the silver pot containing the heart of Queen Mary for a short period of time.
By leaving this charming region behind, with scattered houses on the picturesque hills filled with flavours of freshly cut hay and bedstraw in summer and hummocks guarding the haycocks, we continue to Poiana Braşov mountain resort, also known as „Poiana Soarelui (The Glade of Sun)", located at the foot of Mount Postăvaru. Considered by many a tourism jewel and being a luxury destination, it is characterized by the development of the entertainment methods in all seasons, in contrast with the previously visited places.
We end our journey by returning to Braşov and hoping that you have spent a special day of your lives with us, in the fairy-like surroundings of Braşov.