For sale in Transylvania: Dracula’s Castle

Published May 12, 2014

Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania has gone up for sale.

Nestled in the Romanian countryside, the property is a tasty investment, and with the closest town, Brasov, some miles away, there’s plenty of peace and quiet, meaning you’ll be able to sleep for a thousand years — or least get a peaceful, lazy Sunday.

The spectacular Bran Castle in Romania has a long list of previous owners, from Saxons to Teutonic knights. But its most famous occupant was Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes, a fearsome warrior who operated in the area and was imprisoned in the castle in the 15th century.

Vlad was a member of the House of Draculesti, the name which gave rise to the famous vampire Count Dracula, the creation of the 19th-century writer Bram Stoker.

Stoker’s Dracula was also inspired by Transylvanian legend and folklore, which are full of characters called strigoi, phantoms that leave their bodies when darkness falls to terrorize sleeping villagers.
According to the Daily Telegraph , the castle is now owned by the descendants of Britain’s Queen Victoria after it was restored to their control following the collapse of communism.

The family, whose surname is Habsburg, consists of three siblings all in their 70s, who lack the time and energy to carry out the renovations the castle needs. (It currently has no toilets or bathrooms.)

Mark Meyer, from New York real estate firm Herzfeld and Rubin, which is handling the sale, refused to discuss the price. The castle reportedly was offered to the Romanian government for $85 million.

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Okay, first of all -- no toilets, bathrooms? I assume that means no central heat, either.

And miles from the nearest Starbucks?

I suppose there's no point in asking about wifi.

On the other hand, if this is the sort of bat to be found in the belfry, I might reconsider.