Transylvania Restaurant
TRANSYLVANIA...
Transylvania is the place where the Romanian nation was born, and an important economic and cultural centre of this country. And last, but not least, it is a region rich in natural and historical tourist attractions, being situated inside the arch of the Carpathians. |
DRACULA`S LEGEND
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Was there a real Dracula who did "dreadful things?" Or are stories about the Count, and his forbidding castle in Transylvania, just folklore?
If we tried to find Dracula in the 15th century, where would we look? Why has the Romanian word for vampire - Nosferatu - been associated with him?
Turns out, there’s a lot more to the story than mere legend.
An important tourist attraction associated to the name of Transylvania is the legend about Count Dracula.
The legend tells about the existence in Transylvania at the beginning of the Middle Ages of a prince, a bitter enemy of the Turks. Left for the battlefield, his enemies spread the news he might have been killed. Hearing that, his wife commits suicide. Back from the battlefield, the prince finds his wife dead and furious about God, he makes a covenant with the devil, becoming an immortal vampire forever looking his beloved wife`s figure and soul in every woman.
This legend has its origins in the old history of Romania in the times of Prince Vlad Dracul (the Devil), also called Tepes (the Impaler), as he punished his enemies or those who committed small crimes by impaling them. Using such harsh and bloody measures, he managed to make order in the country and he was not only loved, but also feared by the people. His enemies who were not content about his policies, spread all sorts of untrue stories about him, considering him a blood-thirsty vampire, a real devil. So a legend was born.
Bran Castle is nowadays visited by thousands of tourists who consider it Dracula`s Castle. They do not know that Prince Vlad lived in the castle for a very short period. His real castle was not at Bran but somewhere else, in the south of Transylvania on the banks of the river Arges in the village of Poienari. He was not the Prince of Transylvania, but of Walachia. It is true that he passed through Bran and Brasov, having commercial liaisons with this area which he also attacked several times in order to punish the Transylvanian Saxon merchants for their enemy trade policy. Bran stood for the commercial customs of Transylvania with Walachia.
This legend has its origins in the old history of Romania in the times of Prince Vlad Dracul (the Devil), also called Tepes (the Impaler), as he punished his enemies or those who committed small crimes by impaling them. For this reason, people travel safely in Walachia without fearing they might be robbed. Prince Vlad Dracul was also a feared enemy of the Turks, being the one who stopped their invasion towards the centre of Europe either alone or making military alliances.
The tourist potential of Transylvania does not stop at Dracula`s legend. In Transylvania there are numberless tourist and thermal resorts, wonderful nature landscapes, architectural or archaeological vestiges. Among the places where one may spend one`s holidays, relax or practice winter sports one must mention Predeal, Poiana Brasov, Stana de Vale, Sovata, Baile Felix, Baile 1 Mai, Baile Bazna, Paltinis, Moneasa, Lipova, Borsa and many more.
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The hills, mountains and the plateau of Transylvania make the soul happy and relax the body. The waters which cross the land are rich in fish and they offer various opportunities of spending one`s free time: fishing, rafting and so on. The wines produced in the centre of Transylvania in the area of the Tarnava rivers are famous all over Europe and they have been served at the tables for all the kings and princes which came to this country.
Winter sports can be practiced no matter in what resort, but the best-known are of course Predeal and Poiana Brasov where, every winter, the modern hotels and the lighted ski slopes wait for the tourists to enjoy the Romanian winters. Due to the multitude and the variety of its areas and its tourist attractions, Transylvania offers not only an attractive alternative of spending the holidays, but you will also experience the discovery of unique places in the world, of legends and stories, delicious food, good wines, high mountains to climb or do bungee-jumping, rapid waters to go rafting. You will also have the privilege to travel around a famous and legendary county not only due to Bram Stoker`s descriptions, but also to the history and the beauty of these places.
If you do not walk on this land, you will never understand those who have come and remained here for a while, have come back again and again or have never left at all.
THE REAL DRACULA
It was the middle of the 15th century. Constantinople (formerly the ancient Greek city of Byzantium and the place where Europe and Asia meet) was still in Christian hands. With its great Hagia Sophia (now a mosque), the city had been the capital of the Eastern Holy Roman Empire since Constantine established it as such in 330 A.D. |
Not pleased with the way Europeans had conducted bloody Crusades against the Muslim world, Sultan Murad II’s battle-hardened troops took fierce revenge. Eastern Europe became a shield against the onslaught as the Turks conquered territory as far west as Vienna. It wasn’t the last time Eastern Europe was a pawn in the hands of opposing super powers.
In the midst of the turmoil, a Wallachian Prince named Vlad and his wife, Princess Cneajna, had a son. The child, who was named for his father, was born in the Transylvanian town of Sighisoara in 1431. The house where Vlad, the child, was born is still standing. Today it is a restaurant.
Vlad, the father, was a favorite of the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg. The Emperor bestowed two great honors on Vlad the year his son was born. Inducted into the prestigious Order of the Dragon, Vlad was also made Prince of Wallachia.
The Romanian word for "Dragon" is Dracul and, henceforth, Vlad the father was known by the name "Vlad Dracul" (for Vlad the Dragon). Young Vlad was known as "Vlad Dracula" (for Vlad, son of the Dragon).
The Romanian word Dracul has another meaning: "Devil."
