Dawn Berkoski

I raced down the winding staircase of the Clock Tower in Sighisoara, Romania. The sign had been clear as day. Casa Vlad Dracul. I had finally found the historic building where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, was born. I couldn’t wait to explore it.

Vlad’s parents had stayed in the yellow ochre house during an invasion of their home in Wallachia by the Turkish Empire. Now it housed a museum and restaurant. I headed to the museum first. Photos of Vlad, maps of Transylvania, a collection of hatchets, I finally felt like I was in the right place. I stared at the family tree, inspired all over again by the myths of heroes who could never die, stories that fueled my own novels of vampires. There had to be some truth to the legends, but where were the undead hiding?

I decided to search the restaurant; I was hungry anyway. As I ate lunch, a cat stayed nearby, watching me. I tried to give him some fish, but he wouldn’t come. Strangely, from that moment on, everywhere I looked in Sighisoara, he was there, weaving between old buildings and following me. Another strange animal sighting, perhaps?

Afterwards, I was sent to the bar to pay. “Are there any vampires here?” I asked the bartender. I didn’t expect his answer.

“Up those stairs,” he said, pointing to a narrow staircase with a velvet rope across it. “If you’re brave enough.”

My eyes grew wide and a grin split my face. “Really?” I had braved cemeteries, crypts, castle dungeons, and dark mines, everywhere in Transylvania to meet one. Who knew I could find a vampire so easily!

“Yes. It’s only 10 Lei.”

I swiftly paid my bill and entrance fee, trying to be patient as he removed the velvet rope that blocked my path. My pulse leapt in excitement, and a bit of fear, as I started to climb. A red glow filled the doorway above me, and eerie music began to play. I grabbed my phone to record the evidence. Here is the video.

Would this crazy journey actually pan out?

Spoiler: No, it did not. Well, not exactly. I did find a vampire’s coffin, but instead of biting my neck, “Dracula” waved me over and offered me a photo op while pointing to a tip jar.

I headed back downstairs to the bar. “Are there any real vampires?” I asked with a smile. I wasn’t completely disappointed. I had been entertained.

The bartender laughed. “What can I say? The man’s a drunk. He was homeless, so we gave him a bed and a job.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I thanked him and left.

Besides, I still had a large section of Sighisoara to explore. Out of the 14 original guild towers that once protected the citadel, 9 remained. I had seen the Ropemaker’s tower near the Cemetery on the Hill, so I decided to search for the others.

Along the way, I found two historic churches. St. Joseph’s, which is near the Bootmaker’s tower, was closed, so I snapped a photo through the bars. The other, Biserica Manastiriim, or the Monastery Church, had some gorgeous artifacts, including an elaborate Baroque altar piece, a baptismal font from the 1400’s, and Anatolian carpets from the 16th century.

Afterwards, I found the cutest bakery and enjoyed coffee and dessert at Burg Kaffe Cetate. It gave me time to think. I thought I would find vampires here, but I hadn’t even found a clue as to where to search next. Had I reached the end of my journey?

It wasn’t until I was heading back to the inn that I noticed the sign on a drinking well. (See photos below.) I had heard the tale of a golden goblet, left near a fountain in Targoviste for all to drink from. No one dared to steal it, not with the son of Dracul, Vlad the Impaler, in charge of the capital. But, one day, the goblet vanished, and the villagers knew that Vlad II, the prince of Wallachia, had died.

Or did he? Travel from Wallachia to Targoviste during Vlad’s reign meant passing through a Transylvanian town called Bran, known for its legends of ghosts and Strigoi. And a drawing of the vampire’s castle in the original edition of Dracula bears a strong resemblance to Bran Castle.

I pulled out my map and circled my next destination.

Dawn B~