Sighisoara - Birth Place of "Dracula", Vlad Draculea, Tour Day 6, WTRD 15, Aug 24, 2016

Sighisoara - Birth Place of "Dracula"

We awoke to bird's chirping and church bells ring this morning as we awoke in Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad Draculea, the ruler of Valachea in Transylvania.

Our Accommodations were in the House of the Antler

Sighisoara is one of a kind. It was developed by the German settlers as of late 12th century. It stands on a network of tunnels and catacombs and, according to one version of the myth; this is where the Pied Piper brought the children of Hamelin after their ungrateful parents refused to pay him his due.

Brief History of Vlad the Impaler Dracula. (See Historical Documentary)

To set the stage, Romania was not yet a country, but contiguous regions of Valachia, Moldovia, and Transylvania. All became principalities in the 11th century.  By the early 14th century, the three principalities were under the the influence and power of the Hungarian Empire.  By the end of the 13th century, Transylvania and Moldvoia were ruled by Hungary.  Valachia had gained its tenuous independence.    However, Vlad I fled from Valachia, served under Sigmund of Luxemburg in Transylvania, and his loyalty and merits won him an appointment as a knight in the Dragon Order, comprised of the nobles of highest rank in the Hungarian Empire.  He was promised the throne in Valachia by Sigmund but he had to wait to take Valachia back.

In 1431-1435, Vlad 1 now nicknamed Vlad Dracul (dragon/devil), was in Sighisoara, marking time and having two sons Vlad II (Draculea - son of Dracul) and Mircea.

The Silver Dragon Represents the Order of the Dragon which Vlad 1 was a Member

The conquering Ottoman Empire was a new threat to the region. They demanded revenue from Sighisoara in exchange for relative independence and loyalty to the Ottoman Sultan which Vlad 1 complied.

The two boys lived in Sighisoara for 4 years before their father became the ruler.  During Vlad's first reign 1436-1441, the young boys accompanied their father on campaigns learning the art of knighthood. Two additional sons, Radu and Vlad the Monk were born.  Vlad Draculea and his brother  Radu in 1443 joined his father to an official trip to Constantinople where he and his sons were taken prisoner, and Vlad Dracul was accused of disloyalty.  In order to prove his loyalty, he had to leave his imprisoned sons with the Sultan, and was set free by the Turks to do as they bid and to prove his obedience.

During the 4 years that Vlad Draculea was imprisoned, he lived in fear and with cruelty, knowing he could be decapitated if his father was disobedient.  He also learned the Turkish art of torture which he used in later years and which gave him the infamous title of Vlad the Impaler.  In 1948, Vlad Draculea at 17, escaped from the prison when he learned that his father and brother Mircea had been killed by a rival family seeking to gain the Valachia rulership.  

Draculea set off to avenge his brother and father's death and to regain control of the throne.  Eventually, Draculea became the ruler, but after much torture and killing.  One of the tortures was to vertically impale the enemy, by laying them flat on their backs, shoving a pole with a blade edge up one of their lower orifices.  Righting the pole vertically and letting gravity and the weight of the body sink, forcing the pole upward towards the brain with unspeakable agony until death ensued many hours later.  This was done not only to kill the enemy, but even as sacrifice of innocents to terrify the enemy.  Vlad Draculea outside of Braslov when trying to recatpure his throne, impaled 20,000 people who were outside of the walls.  He did this to terrify the people inside the walls.  He became known as Vlad Draculea the Impaler.

There is a story, that during the impaling he is remembered as sitting amongst the impaled eating his lunch and drinking wine...much like the "flesh and blood" of Christ.  This image (real or fabricated) may have been part of the fiction by author Bram Stoker in his tale of Dracula, the blood thirsty, vampire.

The reality and the fiction before Bram Stoker are hard to separate as much has been orally told and embellished.  The fiction from Bram Stoker is based on the name of Vlad Draculea the Impaler, but Vlad was not a count, not from Transylvania, and not a vampire.  Nevertheless, we all love the story and it has been a boon to Romanian tourism....aaahhh, that is certainly one of the reasons we are here.

The walking tour of Sighisoara included the two squares of the Citadel (Upper Town), the House with Antler, the Tower with Clock (climb up for a great view),

 the Torture Chamber and the Weapon Museum. We visited the Spoonman Exhibition of Transylvanian Arts & Crafts.

From Sighasora, we journeyed  south through the picturesque Transylvanian Plateau. We stopped for an exclusive tasting of organic Transylvanian "like Grandma used to make" recipes of sweet and savory jams, spreads, cand cordials.

Russ and I enjoyed the raspberry jam, apple cinnamon jam, and a garlic chutney the best.  I would have liked to have gotten the Elder flower cordial, but shipping it home may have been a problem.

Originally the plan was to tour of Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle, but our guide suggested it might be better to do that the following day.  Our Friendship Force group had arrangements in Brasov to meet Corina from the Brasov Friendship Force at 6:00 pm. In order to do this without rush, Geroge our guide got us to Brasov early for a walking tour, so that we would have time to visit with Corina in the early evening.

The walking tour revealed the Old Town with the late Gothic Black Church featuring a collection of precious Anatolian rugs,

Bottom Level is Gothic, Top Level Rebuilt as Baroque

Council Square, Catherine's Gate,

 the narrow Rope Street

as well as a view of the impressive 1901 synagogue.

Our FF group met for wine and appetizers to meet up with Corina in our accommodations at Hotel Casa Wagner on the main square of Brasov.

We had a short and sweet visit with Corina.  Friendship Force people are the best.  Immediately, strangers become friends.

Top Row, L to R, Chris, Kathy, Nancy, Helen, Kathy, Rus, Bottom Row L to R, George, Corina, Elizabeth and Lynn

Tonight is our last night in Romania.  Tomorrow, we make a few visitation stops on our way to the train station in Bucharest, and then we say goodbye to our excellent guide George and our terrific driver Sandu, before we are board the train to Chisineau, Moldova.

We have had a wonderful time in Romania.  It is hard to believe that our week here is coming to an end.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs in Brasov, Romania.