Tag Archives: Vlad the Impaler

Streets of Sighisoara, Romania

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Sighisoara street

Streets of Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara is surely Romania‘s brightest jewel. This snug medieval city is tucked into the north of the Transylvania region. Colourful facades jostle for place on ancient streets paved with smooth cobblestones, made shiny by the footfall of thousands. Cafes and beer terraces stumble out into the main streets and squares, and a happy hubbub of chatter sounds in the air. Quieter alleys with own windows and miniature gardens ring with the sounds of cooking. A region that has seen many rulers, travellers from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and other nearby countries mingle together in this historic city. Sighisoara has a darker past, too. It was here that the infamous maybe-vampire Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) was born. In fact, you can eat in a restaurant that occupies his former home. Though probably not a vampire, he was certainly unbelievably cruel. Vlad had a seemingly incurable bloodlust and a deep-seated hatred for the Ottomans – though in his defence, the Ottomans spent an inordinate amount of time trying conquer Vlad’s regions of Wallachia and Transylvania (modern day visitors prefer Transylvania due to its mountains and castles, but at the time Wallachia was worth more as its flat and featureless landscape was far better for profitable farming). Vlad’s nickname ‘the Impaler’ was unfortunately based on his obsession with impaling his enemies on spikes. (He is also one of the first to use biowarfare, sending fatally sick man dressed as Turks into their camps to infect as many people as possible). Despite this dark stain on Sighisoara’s history, there’s no doubt that this amazing walled city is a place of true beauty, lovely people and seriously good food.

Pro tip: We recommend climbing the covered awning to the church and graveyard at the top. For some of the best food in the city, head to the wine cellars of Gasthaus restaurant, just outside the walls. We recommend the stew Ciulama de pui for mains and a papanasi as dessert. Or eat in Dracula’s birthplace – a tourist-popular place, but less of a ‘trap’ than in other major European hotspots. 

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*Please note that all photos posted since the start of the Pandemic travel restrictions are from the archives, or taken locally within a short distance of our home. 

Snagov Monastery, Romania

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Snagov church Romania

Snagov Monastery, Romania

These seemingly-quiet church spires rise up through the lush gardens of the tiny Snagov Island, in the centre of a small lake of the same name. It is purported that this silent little place is actually the final resting place of Vlad Ţepeş, more commonly known by his legendary nickname, Vlad the Impaler, or even more infamous, Dracula. A personage made famous by Irish writer Bram Stoker, a scholar and writer who never stepped foot on Transylvanian soil, the vampire Dracula is based on the story of the brutal and bloodthirsty Wallachian prince, Vlad Ţepeş, who spent most of his life doing two things – one, fighting against the encroachment of the Ottoman Empire, and two, impaling people. A lot of people – hence the nickname. There has been a church on Snagov Island since the 11th century, with the monastery founded in the 14th century during the reign of King Dan I ( which was from 1383–86), and finally the construction of a stone edifice in 1453, which was later improved into the present-day structure. Supposedly the monks at Snagov were particularly partial to Vlad Dracul – in keeping with “Christian” values, Vlad helped fund the monastery in return for absolving his sins, or so the old story goes. When Dracula finally died, beheaded in 1476 while fighting his long-time enemy the Ottoman Turks, Vlad Ţepeş was interred here (well, most of him was, excepting his head which was carried on a spike back to Istanbul). Though no one knows if this is actually true or that the body here is indeed Vlad, it is true that there’s a monument to Vlad Ţepeş here at Snagov, and people come from miles around to visit the final resting place of the most famous almost-vampire in Europe.

Pro tip: Snagov is on the way from Transylvania to Bucharest. Follow the signs to the monastery through a neighbourhood where there is a car park (expect a small fee), then cross to the island via the footbridge. There are also boats across the lake if you prefer the traditional method, costing you perhaps 100 lei. At certain times of year, there are roadside vendors selling fresh produce such as strawberries – much more delicious than anything you’ll find in the supermarket!

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