Halloween with Dracula in Transylvania

There's probably nowhere more atmospheric on the night of Halloween than Transylvania, a land so inextricably linked with the story of Dracula that many people are surprised it actually exists. One of Europe's lesser-explored corners, dotted with medieval fortifications, still densely forested in parts and home to a fair whack of the continent's wild bears and wolves, it's a suitably wild and dramatic setting for one of the most enduring horror stories of all time.

It was Bram Stoker, an Anglo-Irish writer with a canny understanding of the 19th century appetite for the macabre, who first linked this mysterious region of modern-day Romania with the myth of Dracula. Stoker cherry-picked an assortment of facts and fictions to flesh out his tale of the bloodsucking count.

It's widely believed that Stoker's real-life inspiration for Dracula was Vlad the Impaler, a medieval prince whose favoured method of dispatching his enemies - impaling them on stakes, then hoisting them aloft to die an agonising death - guaranteed him the kind of notoriety that lasts centuries.

Actually, the only thing Vlad shares with the fictional count is his name. Vlad's full name was Vlad Dracul (Dracul meaning 'dragon' in Romanian) after a military order bestowed on his father. As for the setting of Transylvania, it's possible that Stoker just liked the sound of it. Vlad was actually a prince of Wallachia, a region to the south of Transylvania, though he was born in the Transylvanian town of Sighisoara.

Intriguingly, despite inspiring countless spin-offs from Nosferatu to Count Duckula, the Dracula story was almost unheard of in Transylvania itself until the fall of communism in 1989 opened the country up to the rest of the world. Suddenly, the bemused Romanians realised they had a monster tourism draw on their hands. As a result, you'll find the inevitable vampire souvenirs and themed bars and restaurants at places associated with the real-life Vlad Dracul. But these well-preserved remnants of medieval Romania are fascinating in their own right.

Take Bran Castle. Set imposingly on a hill overlooking the town of Bran, it's the picture-perfect gothic haunt. Built by the Saxons of nearby Brasov as a defensive outpost and to oversee trade with nearby Wallachia, its turrets and ramparts tower impressively over the town.

Most visitors are disappointed to learn that, despite being widely known as Dracula's Castle, Bran actually had little to do with the real-life Vlad. It's variously reported that he either visited or conquered the castle or was briefly held prisoner there, but beyond that the trail runs cold. It would be a shame to dismiss Bran on these grounds, though, because the castle is both visually stunning and full of intriguing details. There's even an original secret staircase, used by the soldiers who were the first residents of the castle. It leads from what was once a fireplace on the first floor to emerge, in a perfect narrative flourish, from a door in a third floor bookcase.

Dracula was born in the mysterious land of Transylvania or 'The Land Beyond the Forest'. A Prince in the Middle Ages, he was immortalised in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel Dracula and Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film as a demonic vampire. If you're heading here for a frightfest at Halloween, there are plenty of Dracula sites and memorabilia to see, including medieval ceramics from the Count's house, on display at Sighiasoara's Clock Tower Museum, and the 14th century Bran castle, a turreted fortress known as Dracula's spiritual home.

But there is more to Transylvania than the legend of Count Dracula, with its scenic rural beauty, forested valleys and the brooding majesty of the Carpathian Mountains. The Romanian province also boasts a rich cultural heritage peppered with vestiges of Dacian and Roman antiquity as well as Saxon influences as seen in the fortified towns, monumental churches and charming medieval castles.

The city of Sibiu was designated the European Capital of Culture 2007 and you can see why. Cobbled streets run between pastel gingerbread houses and grand Baroque facades. The city dates back over 800 years and has the oldest museum in Romania to prove it. But not everything is in the past. The Philharmonic Orchestra performs weekly concerts, theatres stage classical and modern plays as well pupetteering and mime, and eight cultural centres host art and literary events.

After a cultural onslaught it's time for more rustic pleasures in Sibiel. Staying in a local guesthouse is the best way to savour traditional Transylvanian cuisine. Must-try dishes include Kurtoskolac, sweet cylindrical bread heated over steaming coals and coated in sugar, washed down with a Romanian plum brandy called Tuica. You can see gypsies travelling by horse and cart along the roads, laden down with produce for the market. It's a region of traditional rustic villages untroubled by the modern age.

In contrast, the important cultural and commercial centre of the medieval town of Braþov leads to the mountain ski resorts of Poiana Braþov and Sinaia. Transylvania is a charming, unspoilt gem of eastern Europe, rich in scenic beauty, cultural heritage and folkloric attractions with the bonus of being off the beaten track.

Need to know

When to go:All year round but Halloween is the most popular season to visit the Dracula attractions

Getting there: Fly direct from London to Bucharest or Budapest and take the train to Braþov and Cluj-Napoca respectively
- Bucharest flights from £199 | Budapest flights from £87

Money: Romanian Lei - Check out our Currency Converter for the latest rates

Getting around: Trains and buses run between the major towns and cities of Transylvania

Accommodation: Hotel deals from £22 - There are plenty of hotels and hostels, but for an authentic experience, stay in pensions or guesthouses from £20 including breakfast and dinner