Dracula and Dracula: An Exploration of Dracula Tourism

First published in 1897, Bram Stoker's Dracula has influenced every generation of Western culture since its original print. In a more recent phenomenon, Western obsession with the novel has influenced Western tourism in Romania. One effect of those influences is Tepes Park, a Dracula-themed park planned to be built between Sighisoara and Brasov, to capitalize on the myth and to provide entertainment for tourists (1). Far from all Romanians are warm to the idea, though: Tepes Park is the Romanian Tourism Authority's second attempt to build such a park, after the failed DraculaPark bid in 2003. In general, "Dracula tourism" generates mixed feelings among the Romanian people, and for good reason: information surrounding the "real-life" Dracula is often questionable, and much of the living legend has been characterized (some feel for the worse) by Bram Stoker's work, by a man who never set foot in Romania.

The Man and the Myth

Many who know Count Dracula are also aware of his real-life counterpart, Vlad III. The association of the bloodsucking Count with the medieval Voivode is the central connection Romania has with the Gothic-horror novel, and also the centerpiece of controversy surrounding Dracula tourism.

There are a good few similarities between the fictional Dracula and the real-life prince Dracula, principally the name. Vlad III inherited the title "Dracula" from his father, Vlad II, who was bestowed "Dracul" (meaning "dragon") after joining The Order of the Dragon (2). "Dracul" was a popular name among Vlad II's detractors, since the word also meant "devil" in Romanian. "Dracula," bestowed upon Vlad III, simply means "son of the dragon," or, more ominously, "son of the Devil." However, many at the time agreed Vlad III earned the title by his actions as well: during an Ottoman invasion into his native Wallachia, the Voivode burned the villages in the wake of his army's retreat, finally repelling the Ottoman forces (that outnumbered them 3:1 in number and more by quality of arms) by displaying what was said to be 20,000 corpses impaled on stakes (3), a tactic which also earned him the name Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler.

A 16th Century portrait of Vlad III (a.k.a. Vlad Tepes, a.k.a. Dracula).
Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

While Vlad III was a nobleman in Wallachia (which shared a border with Transylvania) who also allegedly had a bloodlust to match Stoker's Count, perhaps the most striking similarity between the two figures is their physical descriptions. Jonathan Harker's depiction of Count Dracula in Chapter II echoes descriptions of him at the time, including that of a portrait made of him after his death (pictured above). The relevant text occurs on pages 21 and 23 of the Norton Critical Edition, describing Count Dracula as "clean shaven save for a long white mustache" (Stoker, 21), with a "very strong" face and "aquiline" features, who has a "high bridge thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily around the temples, but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose," (a feature which was often attributed to Vlad Tepes but the portrait above fails to reflect), "and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion" (Stoker, 23). Harker's description, despite likening the Count to a much older man, practically projects the image of Vlad III's portrait into the reader's mind, creating a stunning coincidence between the two figures.

Dracula Tourism

There is little wonder of why Vlad Tepes is indelibly associated with Count Dracula, though that has not erased the issue some Romanians take with Dracula tourism. For many of the Romanian people, Vlad III is a national hero, or at least a part of their national history and therefore meant to be respected, not propped up as some cape-wearing fanged fiend. The various establishments made to capitalize off of the novel's legend so closely associated with the real historical figure is like if foreigners flocked to the United States to stay in tourist traps themed after Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

A poster for the 2012 film adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Credit: IMDB.

There has long been talk in Romania to further capitalize off Dracula tourism, and indeed in the 1990s when Romania began to form a stronger relationship with the Western world, they advertised Bran Castle as the authentic "Castle Dracula." In reality, Bran Castle has little to do with Vlad Tepes and only found its way into the legend thanks to some architectural similarities between the physical location and the fictional castle described in Stoker's novel. Nevertheless, Bran Castle is always bustling with tourists (up until recently, as administration has closed the doors due to virus concerns) looking for the connection. Similar myths have circulated surrounding other Romanian castles, such as Corvin Castle, where Vlad III was rumored to have been imprisoned for some time, and Poenari Fortress. For many, Poenari Fortress is the authentic "Castle Dracula," not in the sense of the novel but in the sense of the historical figure, and so it still shares tangential fame in Dracula tourism. Vlad Tepes rebuilt Poenari Fortress (using the nobility of his enemies as slaves, no less) and stayed there; in at least one sense, Poenari Fortress is "Dracula's Castle," which is more than can be said of some of the others.

A (rough) depiction of Count Dracula's journey from the Black Sea to Castle Dracula based on events in the novel.
Map-making software courtesy of www.scribblemaps.com.

Interestingly enough, though, none of the popular castles touted as "Castle Dracula" come close to the site of the Count's fictional home; the closest, Bran Castle, is over 190 kilometers away! Stoker's notes list the actual latitude and longitude for Castle Dracula, located on what used to be an empty hilltop in Borgo Pass, between Bistritz and Vatra Dornei, on the other side of the road from Piatra Fantanele, a resort town. However, for those without access to Stoker's notes, an approximate location can be found by using the text to track the journey of the Count through the Romanian heartland, as shown in the map above. Nowadays, visitors to the location can stay at Hotel Castle Dracula, a Dracula-themed hotel, complete with blood-red carpets and a creepy basement where the Count sleeps. Brave visitors can meet with the count for a modest 3 Leu ($0.67). Other locations from the novel have been brought into existence as well, such as the Golden Krone Hotel in Bistritz, where Jonathan Harker stays in the opening chapters of the novel. The real-world hotel's restaurant even offers Robber Steak, the same meal Harker eats during his stay.

Every bit of the legend surrounding Vlad III and Count Dracula is rife with misinformation and speculation. From the propoganda of the Saxons and the Voivode himself, to the campfire rumours and legends extolled about his character, to the stories and theories behind Stoker's inspirations, research, and manuscript, all coalesces into a swirling whirpool of fact floating among the fiction. Though while academics and amateur historians question the validity of the real Dracula's inspiration for the fictional Count, reality is much clearer. Whether founded or not, fans of the novel make the connection. For Romanians concerned about their nation's image, that is all that matters. Dracula tourism, seeming to many honest fans like a harmless foray into Eastern Europe, can appear to others as a bastardization and commodofication of an admired historical figure, at odds with truth, reality, and honor.

Further Reading

1. Romania Insider, "Romania wants to sink its teeth into a new Dracula-themed amusement park."
2. Benjamin Hugo LeBlanc, various reprinted excerpts from Issue #5 of Journal of the Dark titled, "An Intriguing Figure in The Fifteenth Century."
3. Nicholas Rivero, "When Vlad the Impaler Repelled an Invasion With a Forest of Corpses."
4. Bram Stoker, Dracula.