The Best Halloween on Earth, Touring Transylvania in Search of Dracula

As Halloween looms and our thoughts turn to the spooky and the macabre, there is no better place to find frights and chills than at Dracula's home in Transylvania. Dracula tours are becoming popular with the thrill-seeking horror fans out there, and are certainly not for the squeamish or faint-hearted; consider yourself warned!

The character of Count Dracula, as created by Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel, is a vampire supposedly based on Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad III the Impaler. Vlad Dracula served as a fitting template for the legendary villain; a ruler often characterized by his enemies as cruel, sadistic, and ruthless. He is infamous for impaling his victims on spikes, leaving them to die a gruesome, slow death, and to rot in the sun for months. Some records put the number of people to suffer this fate at the hand of Vlad Dracula in the tens of thousands. The tours that exist today combine legend with fact, where local superstition overlaps with medieval accounts and rich cultural history.

The sites of interest to the intrepid vampire hunter mostly lie in the Transylvania region of Romania. The best international airports to fly into are close by in Budapest, Hungary; or Bucharest, Romania; both of which are cultural centers of medieval history, art, and eastern European tradition. Several tours start out from Budapest, and involve ample frightseeing opportunities along the way of various Dracula-based points of interest. Themed tour guides for the region come highly recommended, boosting the supernatural atmosphere with plenty of eerie locations, gruesome facts about the local history, and lots of creepy tales to enjoy. However, if you wish to take on the undead alone, the prime target has to be Bran Castle, known more famously as "Dracula's Castle" in Brasov, Romania. The castle was used as inspiration for Bram Stoker in creating his Dracula myth, and today thrives on a strong, vampire-curious tourist trade. For the diehard fans, horse-drawn carriages are available to take you to the castle along the same route as Jonathan Harker in the novel.

Some of the tour highlights include:
Hungarian wine tasting of the fine Tokaji wine served by Count Dracula to his guests, and sampling the same meals described in the novel. Many themed hotels and converted citadel-restaurants pride themselves on their vampiric menus, definitely a treat for gastronomically adventurous.

Live presentations on the world of Romanian folklore are offered by a famous Romanian ethnographer detailing the myths, practices, and beliefs of medieval Romania through to modern day. The legendary creatures described are the stuff of nightmares, great for those Halloween scares.

Round off your tour with the best Halloween party on earth in the Sighisoara Citadel, Vlad Dracula's birthplace. This medieval city is full of gothic spires, winding, crooked streets, and imposing turrets- the perfect setting for a truly frightening night of horror and festivities.

When visiting Romania be sure to pack appropriately. The weather around the Halloween season is unpredictable, with daytime temperatures between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping to the low 40s at night. It is possible to see some snowfall, especially in the mountainous regions, so be prepared. Travelers are advised to pack rain gear, durable wet-weather boots, a flashlight, and of course, some garlic. The region is full of ancient castles, fortresses, and ruins for exploring, though if you haven't got weeks to wander around seeing everything, grab a guide, or plan a schedule beforehand. Check out what other travelers have to say about their experiences in Europe on our Travel Forums, a great way to pick up tips and advice wherever you're headed.