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Road Trip Romania to Balea Lac, Transfagarasan, Brasov & Bran Dracula Castle<\/h1>\n

My adventure in Ukraine had come to an end. After spending two\u00a0wonderful weeks in Lviv, Vinnytsia, Odessa and Kiev it was time for me and Lazy Louie to hit the road and drive towards the beautiful country of Romania. This country was on my radar for quiet some time, as I was keen on visiting three places during my Road Trip Romania;\u00a0Balea Lac, The Transfagarasan Highway\u00a0and Bran Dracula Castle.<\/p>\n

My first stop would be in the famous Transylvania region. The plan was to visit the home of Dracula himself: Bran Dracula Castle<\/a><\/strong>. The second place was the famous serpentine road; The<\/a> Transfagarasan<\/a> Highway<\/a>.<\/strong> This road goes straight through the Carpathian Mountains<\/a><\/strong> and is every road tripper\u2019s fantasy. It is such an adventure to drive that it was even featured in a Top Gear special.<\/p>\n

My blood was pumping and I knew this was going to be an awesome adventure. Garlic? Check! Wooden cross? Check! Enough brake fluid for my car? Double check!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Check Our Other Road Trip Itineraries\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\nA 6-Day San Francisco to Los Angeles Road Trip Itinerary<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\nUltimate New Zealand South Island Road Trip Itinerary \u2013 2018 Edition<\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\nThe No. 1 East Coast of Australia Road Trip Itinerary<\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\nSpain Road Trip Itinerary \u2013 Route Barcelona, Calpe, Granada, Malaga & Madrid<\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\nRoad Trip Norway Itinerary \u2013 Your No.1 Norwegian Road Trip Guide \u2013 2018 Edition<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Crossing the border from Ukraine to Romania<\/h2>\n

From Vinnitsa, I drove towards Chernivsti to cross the border at MAPP Porubnoye. This border crossing was not to difficult compared to my previous border crossing nightmare. After two hours I made the pass and I noticed instantly how stunning the landscape of Romania was and how perfect smooth their roads were.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was excellent!\u201d<\/em> I thought.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After tuning the radio, a Golden Oldies channel appeared, who was playing old school American Rock N\u2019 Roll. It was just one of those days that everything was going right. After a quick overnight stay at the Continental Hotel in Suceava, I was driving to Dracula\u2019s home town;\u00a0Brasov<\/p>\n

(Related: Crazy border crossing: Poland to Ukraine<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Things to do in Brasov, Transylvania.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The drive from Suceava to Brasov is 6 hours, and took me through a variety of small Romanian villages. During lunchtime, I bought my food at a local bakery and decided to park the car in a remote cornfield to enjoy the landscape. \u201cI am living the dream, buddy!\u201d<\/em> I said to my car. Of course, Louie did not say anything back, but with no major mechanical failures after 12,000 Km. of driving I got the feeling he understood as well:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on the trip of a lifetime!\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hotel Transylvania<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWelcome to Brasov County\u201d<\/em> The sign said. It had been a long day and I could feel the long drive had taking its fair share of energy. Thankfully, I only had to drive for another 10 minutes to the Pension Old City<\/a> <\/strong>and as I was getting closer to the hotel I passed the town square.<\/p>\n

\"road
Brasov Town Square<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What can I say? It was love at first sight. The city offers a unique mix between traditional and modern bars & restaurants, old architecture and nature. The city is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. It even has its own version of the Hollywood letter sign, as you can see the BRASOV sign in all its glory when standing on the square.<\/p>\n

Visit Bran Dracula Castle\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The village of Bran is located about 30 Km. outside of Brasov. It takes about 45 minutes to get there, depending on the traffic. The route takes you through the farmlands of Romania. It is a beautiful sight that shows the town of Bran in the far distance with Carpathian Mountains in the background as the big brother protecting its little brother.<\/p>\n

I remember thinking: \u201cIt is actually pretty quiet. Where is are all the tourist?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Just when I finished that thought I drove into Bran and the madness started. \u201cGet your Dracula mask! Only 40 Lei!\u201d<\/em> or \u201cWelcome to the Dracula Haunted House, are you ready for a ride in the ghost house?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Romania\"
Bran Castle as advertised. The home of Count Vlad Dracula<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was like arriving on a Dracula Festival and the little town square was totally packed. The queue to enter the castle must have been at least a 100 meters long. I was stocked, as I am sure this would mean the experience would be great. Thankfully, the line moved quickly and after paying 35 Lei (\u20ac 7,80 – ) I was ready to start my scary adventure at Bran Castle.<\/p>\n

To get up to the castle, you have to walk a steep hill. On my way up I saw different banners, which had history facts of the horrors of Count Vlad Dracula written on them. My heart started racing and I was ready for what was coming next.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould we start with the dungeon?\u201d The master bedroom?\u201d \u201cOr maybe his secret layout? \u201dYes, that must be it!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As the queue to the entrance of the castle got smaller I smaller, I was getting more and more excited.<\/p>\n

The Tour<\/b><\/h3>\n

White walls, a breezy wind, sun shinning and nice silk decorations and curtains. This is what I saw in the first room I visited.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the (..) is this?\u201d<\/em> I remember mumbling out loud. \u201cI know, right?\u201d<\/em> A woman said next to me.<\/p>\n

\"Bran
Bran Dracula Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My disappointment was greatly, as it turned out that Dracula\u2019s castle looked more like the set of the famous musical movie \u201cMama Mia\u201d, then of the home of an evil warlord. As the tour progressed, I became more and more annoyed as all the information was about other kings and queens who made their residence in this castle during its existence.<\/p>\n

Apparently, good ol\u2019 Dracula only stayed some time in their dungeon as a prisoner and that’s it. A real tourist trap, if you ask me.<\/p>\n

I will be honest, it was a stunning place, therefore if you like beautiful castle by all means, go ahead and visit. But it has absolutely nothing to do with Count Vlad Dracula. Unless, the history books made a mistake and he was actually not an evil warlord, but a very passionate home decorator.<\/p>\n

Racing the Transfagarasan Highway<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After my disappointing introduction to Count Dracula, I had set my focus on my second goal: Racing the famous Transfagarasan Highway<\/strong>. This serpentine road was constructed in 1974 and starts at Pite\u00e7ti. It follows the valley of the river Argea and after the highest point, it descends to Cartisoara in the Olt valley, where the road ends.<\/p>\n

In the British TV show Top Gear, the team showed why the Transfagarasan Highway is the best road for a road trip.<\/p>\n