28 / 7 / 2010
www.beyondtheforest.com provides everything you need to plan your holiday - unbiased travel information based on extensive, personal travel and an unparallelled network of local specialists.
Follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker to Count Dracula's castle in the "Borgo Pass"
... or, discover that fact can be stranger than fiction on the trail of the real-life Dracula
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HALLOWEEN 2010: we are organising a selection of tailor-made options plus Halloween Dracula themed short breaks with Count Kalnoky, and near Sighisoara. Email for details.
"Just returned from the Ultimate Halloween tour and would just like to thank you for a wonderful experience. Special mention must go to the guide Ramona, one could have not wished for a better, more professional, well informed FUN guide, She is a truly wonderful person and a joy to be around!" D.&J.K. (Derbyshire)
"We loved Hotel Castel Dracula, it was great fun, and in a stunning location, but the horse and cart ride up through the forest was an attraction worth selling in itself. A beautiful ride and a great experience. We loved turning up to the door to the amzement of the other tourists in their cars!" D.& A.O. (East Sussex)
Click here for further testimonials from our GUEST BOOK
To book your perfect holiday
we recommend:
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Superstitions, myths and legend are rife in this part of Transylvania
- a fear of the unknown in this remote corner of Europe
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Dracula Collection Guideline Prices 2010 |
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Suggestions for Dracula Holiday Itineraries & Guideline Prices 7 Days BESPOKE DRACULA Beauty & the Beast from Bucharest £ 650.00 - £ 700.00 per person plus flights from £ 125.00 12 Days BESPOKE DRACULA Jonathan Harker Trail from Cluj incl. 7 nights All Inclusive Another Europe Holiday £ 950.00 - £1000.00 per person plus flights from £ 75.00 5 Days BRIEF ENCOUNTER Pint-Size Dracula from Cluj £ 325.00-£ 550.00 per person subject to your group size plus flights from £ 75.00 per person with Wizz - Luton to Cluj 4 Days BRIEF ENCOUNTER Weekend Dracula from Cluj £ 225.00-£ 400.00 per person subject to your group size plus flights from £ 75.00 per person with Wizz - Luton to Cluj 4 Days BRIEF ENCOUNTER Realm of Vlad the Impaler Escorted trom Bucharest £ 325.00 - £ 600.00 per person subject to your group size plus flights from £ 125.00 per person from UK to Bucharest SEE BELOW FOR SUMMARY or BESPOKE DRACULA & BRIEF ENCOUNTERS pages for full details |
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The Dracula Trail - FICTION - |
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"Borgo" (Bargau ) Pass Hotel Castel Dracula Jonathan Harker's Journey (Carriage ride to Castel Dracula) Bistrita ("Bistritz") "Golden Krone Inn" (Hotel Coroana de Aur) Cluj ("Klausenburg") Bran Castle |
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The Dracula Trail - FACT - |
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Bucharest (Curtea Veche) Targoviste (Princely Court / Chindia Tower) Curtea de Arges Arefu Poienari Castle Ruins Sighisoara (Schässburg) Brasov (Tampa Hill) Fagaras Snagov |
[ Bram Stoker "Dracula", 1897 ]
01539 531 258 (UK)
0044 1539 513258 (Int.)
Dracula: the Vampire Count
The well-known Dracula, a vampire count, subject of hundreds of horror films, was created by an Irishman, Bram Stoker, in 1897.
The novel begins with the journey of Jonathan Harker, a naive English lawyer dispatched to Transylvania to finalise the deeds on the sale of a property in London for the Count. He journeys from Budapest to Cluj, then onwards to Bistritz (Bistrita) by train. There, he stays at the Golden Krone Hotel before travelling up the "Borgo Pass" to Castle Dracula despite warnings to the contrary. Although Stoker had never been to Transylvania the locations used are real and his discriptions surprisingly accurate.
Dracula: Vlad the Impaler - Prince of Wallachia
Stoker drew his inspiration from a number of sources but following his discovery of a pamphlet about the 15th century Prince of Wallachia - Vlad Dracula - his vampire count gained an identity.
Vlad was born in Sighisoara in Transylvania in 1431 - the house where he was allegedly born still stands today and now contains a restaurant. He lived during a time of great conflict. Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire of the Turks in 1453 and his father joined the Order of Dragon - a union of eastern and central European rulers - to repel further expansion.
On one occasion they were repulsed by the sight of a forest of the victims of a previous invasion impaled outside the capital Targoviste. He was later deposed by his brother, who sided with the Turks and he fled from his castle in the gorge of the Arges at Poienari, aided by the villagers of Arefu, across the mountains to Transylvania, where he was sheltered for while in the mountain castle of "Königstein"(Piatra Craiului), now a ruin above the Rucar Pass
Vlad returned to the throne of Wallachia only to be murdered a few months later. His decapitated remains were buried at Snagov Monastery near Bucharest, which he had once partly converted into a prison. The capital itself was first recorded during the time of his first reign when he built a citadel there.
Dracula: Nicolae Ceausescu - the Dictator
Click here to find out more about CEAUSESCU and the repressive Communist regime in Romania.
Transylvania: Superstition and Supernatural Inspiration
There is far more to Transylvania than Dracula, but the reason for this fascination and the association of the name Transylvania with horror, is perhaps not surprising. The image many people have when they think of 'Transylvaania' is of a remote mountainous land of rugged mountains, dark forests, and perhaps a few castles or mediaeval towns of gingerbread houses, cobbled squares, towers and turrets. It s a romantic image but one which is based on truth. Transylvania is a far way, almost mythical, place for many of us. It is a region or high mountains and immense forests, a region with a great history of invasions and settlement, or fortified towns and villages, castles and caves. And it has those archetypal mediaeval towns like Sighisoara and Sibiu, places which are reminiscent of the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. Add to this the mix of peasant superstitions, legends from the crusades such as the story of Vlad the Impaler, gold mines, and a healthy population of wolves and bears and you have the perfect mix. It is therefore little wonder that writers such as Bram Stoker, who researched Transylvania from the confort of the British Museum, were inspired to write stories such as Dracula. Here we have listed a selection of places that have been settngs in stories, that have inspired them, or that are simply spooky
Baile Herculane: The Roman Baths of Hercules, sometimes said to be the origin of the Golden Fleece (The Iron Gates of the Danube were the 'clashing rocks')
Balea Lac: this lake, high in the Fagaras Mountains, is supposed to be the home of the Scholomancers, the Devils' students.
Bargau Mountains: Liviu Rebreanu's 'Hanging Forest'
Bistrita (Bistritz): the location of the Golden Krone Inn - the opening of Stoker's Novel
Borgo (Bargau) Pass: the wolf-infested plateau that is the setting for Count Dracula's Castle; the frontier between Transylvania and Moldova
Ceahlau: the Magic Mountain of the Dacian Gods
Colt Castle: this ruin in the Retezat Mountains, near Hateg, was the setting of "Caste in the Carpathians" by Jules Verne
Durau: the ruins of the 'Palace of the Princes' at the foot of Mt Ceahlau ('Magic Mountain') was the inspiration for several ghost stories by Alexandre Dumas, such as the 'Pale Lady'
Ghencea Cemetery (Bucharest): not for the faint hearted after dark
Lugoj: home of Bela Lugosi, the actor who first made Dracula famous on the silver screen
Poienari: the castle of Vlad the Impaler, high above the Arges Gorge
Sighisoara: the perfect fairytale Transylvanian town, and birthplace of the real Dracula
Snagov: the island monastery where the headless corpse of Dracula is said to be buried
Varghis Canyon - Vargyas (Hungarian) or Almasch (German): a series of bat-infested caves north-east of Sighisoara from which the Pied Piper emerged with the children of Hamelin
Transylvania also has a fascinating folklore of local superstitions, perpetuated by the peaqsants in mountain villages. Beliefs include Strigoi (corporeal ghosts which can transform into animals or fireflies), Zine (spirits), Forest Maidens (beautiful spirits which seduce woodsmen and shepherds and steal their souls in the forests of northern Transylvania and Maramures, and even Werewolves! For more information try to find a copy of Andrew Mackenzie's 'Dracula Country'.
WARNING ABOUT BOOKING DRACULA TOURS ON THE INTERNET
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! We strongly recommend that you book your travel arrangements through a reliable, fully licensed travel agent or tour operator. You should always check ATOL licenses and bonding arrangements or travel trust schemes before booking, and you should take out adequate travel insurance. We recommend TRAVEL COUNSELLORS in the UK, Netherlands, USA, and Australia because they have unparalleled financial protection, work with a wide range of quality, fully licensed tour operators such as Cox & Kings and Sunvil, in addition to local ground operators. Their consultants also provide a superb personal service. However, there are, of course, plenty of reliable alternatives.
Please take care if booking directly with hotels or operators in Romania advertising on the web. Some of them are unlicensed or uninsured. Travel is a unique commodity because you part with your money before you receive the service. This is why it is strictly regulated and legitimate agents and operators invest heavily in licenses, bonding schemes and trust accounts where monies are held back from suppliers until you have completed your holiday. Therefore, you as a traveller are protected. It is also important to note that ATOL licenses, unlike travel trust schemes, will only cover full packages booked under one licence. For example, if you book your flights direct on the internet, then book your accommodation through a travel agency, you would not be covered under their ATOL license.
By booking direct over the internet you are always taking a risk unless you have a personal recommendation or are able to check out the operator or hotel in question. Check for a registered address, evidence of licenses and financial protection, bank account details (not only PayPal), and a fixed, rather than mobile telephone number, and for independent reviews or recommendations. We have highlighted specific problems where we have come across them. Common complaints are hotels (especially on the Black Sea) which take reservations but cancel them if a higher paying client or group comes along. Other complaints include surcharges levied on arrival, hotels that have been overbooked, transfers in unroadworthy vehicles or with dangerous drivers, and tours that so not turn out to be as advertised. Remember, Romania is a huge country. One Romanian internet company is currently advertising a Dracula Tour which finishes with a day driving from Bucovina to Bucharest via the Danube Delta and the Black Sea ... impossible, even with the fastest, most dangerous driver! So please take time to research before booking to avoid disappointment. If you are concerned about a particuar tour or operator, you can check with the Romanian Embassy or Tourist Office to find out if they are genuine.
NOTE: If you have more than a passing interest in Dracula and Transylvania, there are several Dracula Societies in the UK and USA, including the Dracula Society, London Vampyre Society and the Ghost Club. They often organise excellent Dracula themed holidays for their members in Transylvania, and beyond. For example to the castles of the Czech Republic and Slovakia including that of the infamous Elizabeth Bathori, the 'Blood Countess' at Cachtice.
Dracula Collection: Holiday Suggestions 2010
The following short breaks have been designed to be incorporated into your Romania holiday or can be taken as stand alone holidays. Prices are guidelines, based on prices from reputable agents, and have been quoted without flights. many of these ideas can be adapted for incentives or treasure trails for clubs or businesses.
(A). BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: SEMI-INDEPENDENT SHORT-BREAKS
1. Pint-Size Dracula (ex Cluj)
(5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
This itinerary has been designed to be combined with the excellent value WIZZ AIR flights from Luton to Cluj. It follows in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker in Stoker's Novel, journeying from Cluj to Bistrita (Bistritz) where a night is spent in the 'Golden Krone' hotel before taking the long journey to the Count's Castle in the remote Borgo Pass. This includes a 4 hour horse and cart ride through the forests to reach the pass summit where you will stay at Hotel Castle Dracula. You continue by road through the lovely Transylvanian highlands to the mediaeval town of Sighisoara before returning by train to Cluj for your final night in Transylvania.
PRICES FROM: £ 325.00 - £ 550.00 per person, excluding flights
Lower prices based on a group of eight people sharing twin/ double rooms, and subject to availability
Up to £ 550.00 per person, excluding flights if only two people are travelling
Extra days can be added,
2. Weekend Dracula (ex Cluj)
(4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
A short Dracula break which works with the Wizz flights to Cluj. This follows the trail through Bistrita, up the Borgo Pass by horse and cart to Hotel Castle Dracula, then back to Cluj for a final overnighrt.
PRICES FROM: £ 225.00 - £ 400.00 per person, excluding flights
Lower prices based on a group of eight people sharing twin/ double rooms, and subject to availability
Up to £ 400.00 per person, excluding flights if only two people are travelling
Extra days can be added,
3. Dracula: Realm of Vlad the Impaler (ex Bucharest)
(4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
This itinerary traces the legend of the real Dracula - Vlad the Impaler, from the city of Bucharest into his realm of Wallachia and the beautiful southern Carpathians. You visit the ruins of his real castle, at Poienari, perched high on a precipice above the Arges gorge, then crossinto Transylvania to visit Brasov, Bran Castle and the mediaeval citadel of Sighisoara where he was born. This is a personal escorted tour with a professional English speaking guide
PRICES FROM: £ 325.00 - £ 600.00 per person, excluding flights
Lower prices based on a group of eight people sharing twin/ double rooms, and subject to availability
Up to £ 600.00 per person, excluding flights if only two people are travelling
Extra days can be added,
(B). BESPOKE DRACULA: TAILOR-MADE DRACULA HOLIDAYS
We can create a wide variety of tailor-made tours for travellers who would like a degree of independence. The "Jonathan Harker Trail" is a flexible, tailor-made tour designed for individuals or small groups, featuring an ascent by horse-drawn caleche up to the "Borgo" Pass summit and Hotel Castel Dracula, the Painted Monasteries and Sighisoara. It can be extended or otherwise modified to meet your needs. Please contact us for further details. An example itinerary follows below:
See also our BRIEF ENCOUNTER section for a selection of bespoke short break ideas
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
1. Beauty & the Beast (ex Bucharest)
(7 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
This itinerary starts in Bucharest with a 1st Class rail journey to the region of Bucovina in the far north of the country. Take a personal guided tour of the Painted monasteries then travel west through the Carpathians to pick up the Jonathan Harker trail, a unique journey by horse and cart following tracks through wolf-infested forest to reach Hotel Castle Dracula on the Borgo Pass. Travel onwards into the heart of Transylvania to pick up the domains of Vlad Dracula, staying in the mediaeval citadel of Sighisoara, where he wqas born. You spend a further two nights in Brasov near to Bran Castle before returning to Bucharest by road or train for your flight home.
GUIDELINE PRICES FROM: £ 650.00- £ 700.00 excluding flights
Based on two people sharing a twin/ double room, and subject to availability
Bed & Breakfast including transport and guides where appropriate
Extra days can be added,
2. Jonathan Harker Trail + Another Europe (ex Cluj)
(12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
This itinerary has been designed to be combined with the excellent value WIZZ AIR flights from Luton to Cluj in northern Transylvania. The first part follows in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker in Stoker's Novel, journeying from Cluj to Bistrita (Bistritz) where a night is spent in the 'Golden Krone' hotel before taking the long journey to the Count's Castle in the remote Borgo Pass. This inscludes a 4 hour horse and cart ride through the forests to reach the pass summit where you will stay at Hotel Castle Dracula. You continue by road through the lovely Transylvanian highlands to the mediaeval town of Sighisoara. You then transfer to the old Saxon village of Cisnadioara near Sibiu for a 7 night fully inclusive holiday in teh heart of Transylvania. Here, there are a wide range of activities and excursions which can include many of the other Dracula sites such as Bran Castle, Poienari or Brasov. The last night is spent in the old cultural capital of Cluj before catching your flight home.
GUIDELINE PRICES FROM: £ 950.00 - £ 1000.00 per person, excluding flights
Based on two people sharing a twin/ double room, and subject to availability
Extra days can be added,
1 Atkinson Court, Fell Foot, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, United Kingdom LA12 8NW - Tel. +44 (0)1539 531258; Email. info@lakelandbeyond.com