Introducing Bran & Rasnov

No Dracula or vampires await, and in fact Vlad Ţepeş supposedly only dropped by once in the 15th century, but it’s hard to skip so-called ‘Dracula’s castle’, 30km south of Braşov. The (surprisingly) famous Bran Castle (238 332; www.brancastlemuseum.ro; adult/students & child €3/1.50; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun, noon-6pm Mon May-Sep, 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) dates from 1378. At first look, the 60m castle, set on a rocky outcrop between facing hills, certainly seems vampirific, but inside – elbowing past tour groups – it’s a little bit of an anticlimax. Queen Marie made many summer retreats here in the 1920s, highlighted with exhibits inside.

Râşnov, 12km toward Braşov, doubles the castle intake with its own appealing offer. The ruins of the 13th-century Râsnov fortress (Cetatea Râsnov; 230 255; adult/child €2.70/1.50; 9am-8pm May-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Apr). From the central square, steps lead up the hill where inclined alleys and a museum await.