Dracula's Early Life
Transylvania is part of the east European country of Romania - a land full of mystery and legend, an area dominated by great mountain ranges and mysterious castles. Vlad was born in Sighisoara in the heart of Transylvania in the 15th century and the house in which he was born still stands today (pictured right) although it is much changed from the time when Vlad was there. The house he lived in would have been extremely basic lacking plumbing and sewage disposal but he would have had very thick walls which would have been extremely necessary for survival.
In fact Sighisoara itself was an extremely well fortified walled town with the walls being 10 feet thick and with towers or bastions all along its length (image left). The reason Sighisoara was so heavily fortified at the time that Prince Vlad was born is that it was an extremely rich town due to the wealthy Saxon merchants who lived and traded there.
Vlad's father, a Romanian Prince, struck a deal with the Saxons which allowed him to live protected within the walls of the town but in 1447 AD, he was assassinated by a rival clan who seized the throne of Wallachia, Romania's southern province and the young man was forced to flee north into the hills of Transylvania vowing that one day he would return.
Dracula Castle Introduction | Bran Castle & Tirgoviste | Castle Poenari
The Taking of Brasov | War With the Ottaman Turks | Vlad Dracula's Legacy