T is for Tranyslvania

Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

T = Transylvania 

Today's stop is in Romania where the most famous legend is that of vampires. Author Bram Stoker's, 'Count Dracula,' was loosely based on Vlad Tepes (1431-1476), the medieval Prince of Transylvania. He was also called Vlad the Impaler for enforcing the law by hammering wooden stakes through his victims. In the story he was made to live in Bran Castle, situated between the Bucegi and Piatra Mountains, deep in the Carpathian Mountains. Today Bran Castle is a hotspot for tourists.

Bran Castle (source)

Another stop on the tour is the Rasnov Citadel also known as the "Fortress of Fear." The citadel was built in 1215 as part of a defense system for the Transylvania villages to protect themselves from the Turks and Tatars who invaded the country. There was only one successful seige in 1612 when the people surrendered after their secret water supply was found. With the secret out, a well was built inside the fortress. There was a discovery of human bones in the well which stemmed many other stories.There have also been reports of paranormal activity including: shadows, sounds, and cold spots. This location is now a tourist attraction.

Citadel (source)

Spook Factor:4

Intrigue Factor:4

Beauty Factor:4

Biblio: click here, click here