Wander & Wonder Travel Newsletter

Hey StoryHunter

Halloween is next week - so this week we are heading to Transylvania.

Yes, it is a real place - and friendlier than its reputation.

Brașov lies at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains: a medieval town of pastel houses built by German merchants 800 years ago.

On the mountain above it, giant white letters spell out the town's name, Hollywood-style.

And down the road stands the castle the whole world calls Dracula's Castle.

Read on to learn about:

🧛 The castle with no Dracula in it

⛪ The church that got its name the wrong way

🐀 Where the Pied Piper's children ended up

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Destination of the Week

In 1211, a Hungarian king asked German knights to guard this corner of his kingdom.

They brought settlers with them, and they named their town Kronstadt - the City of the Crown.

In the middle of town stands the Black Church, with an organ of almost 4,000 pipes.

Guides say it was blackened by the great fire of 1689.

Historians are not so sure. 

The name only appeared in the late 1800s - probably thanks to factory smoke.

Don't Miss

25 kilometres from Brașov, high on a rock, stands Bran Castle.

It has pointed towers and narrow staircases - it looks exactly like Dracula's home.

And that is exactly how it is sold.

The problem? 

Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula in 1897, never set foot in Transylvania, and the castle is not in his book.

Vlad the Impaler, the real prince behind the legend, most likely never lived here either.

It was built by the people of Brașov in 1377 and later became the favourite home of Queen Marie of Romania.

Go anyway. 

It is wonderfully spooky in October.

Did You Know?

In 1284, a stranger playing a pipe led 130 children out of the German town of Hamelin - and they were never seen again.

You know him as the Pied Piper.

But where did the children go?

According to a version written down by the Brothers Grimm, they came out in Transylvania - and became the founders of its German towns.

And the story may hide some truth: historians say people from the Hamelin area really did help settle Transylvania in the Middle Ages.

The Trendy Traveler Tip

For the best view of Brașov, take the cable car up Mount Tâmpa.

The ride takes just a few minutes, and from the top station a short path leads you right behind the giant BRAȘOV letters.

Below you'll see red roofs, church spires and the mountains beyond.

Feeling fit? 

Hike it instead - it takes about an hour through the forest.

Afterwards, head to the main square and order papanași: warm fried doughnuts topped with sour cream and jam.

It is Romania's favourite dessert - and one portion is big enough to share.