You’ve no doubt been inundated with Halloween-themed advertisements and the like in the run-up to the Eve of All Saints. In the same way as the Christmas preparations seem to start earlier and earlier each year, so do the Halloween ones. But what does all this have to do with river cruising? You may be aware that a Christmas markets river cruise is a great way to celebrate and get in the festive spirit but perhaps not so aware that there’s a way of injecting a little Halloween atmosphere in a river cruise too, with a visit to Dracula’s Castle.
No, seriously, bear with me. Whether Halloween means anything to you or not, a river cruise along the Danube to see the awesome Bran Castle makes for a fantastic holiday. To see this atmospheric piece of architecture for yourself, you’ll need to book a river cruise along the Danube, specifically one which explores the lower part of the river, typically embarking from Hungary’s historic capital Budapest and making its way towards the Black Sea. Many of these itineraries include stops in Romania’s capital Bucharest, indeed a lot of them start or end there. It’s from here that it’s possible to take an excursion out to Transylvania, a region of Romania forever associated with that most notorious of Halloween characters.
Back in 1897, Bram Stoker introduced the world to the Vampire Count, desperate to escape Transylvania and spread his curse by heading for England. Stoker took his inspiration for the novel from the family name (Dracul) of one of the region’s most celebrated historical figures, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia – more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler, thanks to the way that he dealt with many of his enemies. Vlad’s best-known stronghold was the 14th Century Bran Castle, which is a national monument and still stands today and which can be explored on your lower Danube river excursion. As you would expect, there’s a wealth of Gothic and Baroque treasures to see on your visit and a guided tour is a great way to find out all about this legendary structure and its history.
If you find yourself particularly attached after your visit, you’ll be pleased to know that you can sink your teeth into a legendary piece of real estate, as the castle is reportedly currently up for sale. One thing’s for sure, when you tell the kids or grandkids that you’ve been to Dracula’s Castle, you’ll be sure to gain some serious respect.
As the UK’s leading river cruise specialist, we always have an excellent selection of Danube itineraries available. Just call our dedicated River Cruise Concierge today on 0800 197 0854 and secure your dream Danube river cruise.
pic: Lisa Cyr
