# Bran Castle

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Brașov County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) › [Bran](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/bran)

> A medieval fortress built by the people of Brașov on a rock in the Bran Pass, later Queen Marie's summer residence and known around the world as “Dracula's Castle”.

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**At a glance:** Castles and palaces in Bran, Brașov County. Opening hours: Monday 12:00 – 19:00, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00. Ticket: 120 lei. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 22 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday 12:00 – 19:00, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00 — Hours from 1 April to 1 November; 19:00 is the last admission. From 2 November to 31 March, last admission is at 18:00 (from 12:00 on Mondays, 9:00 on other days). The castle closes early for private events — check the hours on the official website.
- **Ticket:** 120 lei — children 60 lei, seniors 90 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1½ hours — castle and Royal Park
- **With kids:** Yes — free under 5
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — private car parks nearby
- **Best season:** All year round — open all year
- **Address:** Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran, Brașov County
- **Coordinates:** 45.515, 25.3672
- **Phone:** +40 268 237 700
- **Website:** https://bran-castle.com/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran_Castle
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q390275
- **Categories:** [Castles and palaces](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castele-si-palate), [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii), [Museums and memorial houses](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzee-si-case-memoriale)

## About Bran Castle

Bran Castle began with a royal privilege: on 19 November 1377, King Louis I of Anjou granted the people of Brașov the right to build a new fortress on the rock at the entrance to the Bran Pass. It was finished by 1388. The fortress guarded the trade route between Transylvania and Wallachia and was also a customs post, keeping 3% of the value of goods crossing the border.

For four and a half centuries it was a border stronghold, held in turn by the kings of Hungary, Mircea the Elder and the princes of Transylvania, until the people of Brașov bought it in 1651. After 1836, when the border moved up to the mountain ridge, it lost its military role. In 1920 the city of Brașov gave the castle to **Queen Marie**, who turned it into a summer residence with the architect Karel Liman: she brought in water, electricity and a lift, and laid out an English-style park with a tea house at the foot of the rock.

Its fame as “Dracula's Castle” comes from Bram Stoker's novel, although the link with Vlad the Impaler is thin: his army passed through the Bran Pass in 1459 on its way to Brașov. Nationalised in 1948 and a museum since 1956, the castle was returned in 2006 to the heirs of Princess Ileana, the queen's daughter.

### What you can see

You climb a tree-lined path to the entrance, then make your way through the castle on four levels, along narrow stairs and low corridors. The rooms are furnished as in the royal family's day: Queen Marie's bedroom, King Ferdinand's bedroom, the great salon, the library and the toy room. The inner courtyard has a well and wooden galleries, and the towers and balconies look out over the valley towards the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains.

Visited separately are the Torture Chambers, with medieval instruments, and the Time Tunnel, a multimedia descent by lift through the old well shaft that brings you out in the Royal Park.

### Good to know

A new restoration project began in 2026, so some façades or areas may be under scaffolding.

## Don't miss

- Queen Marie's bedroom, with dark carved wooden furniture and windows set deep in the wall.
- The inner courtyard with its well, seen from above from the wooden galleries of the upper floors.
- The narrow secret staircase hidden in the thickness of the wall between two floors.
- The Time Tunnel: the lift ride down the castle's old well shaft to the Royal Park.
- Queen Marie's Tea House in the Royal Park, designed by Karel Liman and now a restaurant.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the castle is on the DN73 (E574) in the centre of Bran, ~30 km from Brașov (~35 minutes) and ~160 km from Bucharest (~2 hours 30 minutes, on the DN1 via Brașov).

**Public transport:** buses to Bran–Moieciu leave Brașov's Autogara 2 bus station every 30 minutes on weekdays and every hour at weekends (~50 minutes, ~13 lei). The stop is in the centre of Bran, near the main entrance. Trains only go as far as Brașov.

### Where to park

The castle has no car park of its own. There are several private paid car parks around it and along the DN73, 200–500 m from the entrance. They fill up quickly in summer and at weekends, so it is best to arrive in the morning.

### Fees & discounts

Standard tour (castle and Royal Park): adults 120 lei, seniors over 65 90 lei, students 80 lei, children aged 5–17 60 lei, school groups (min. 20) 50 lei. Royal Tour with fast-track entry, the Torture Chambers and the Time Tunnel: 190 lei for adults, 130 lei for children; the guided version (Romanian/English, every hour on the hour): 230 lei for adults, 170 lei for children. The Torture Chambers and the Time Tunnel can be added separately for 30 lei each. Free for children under 5 and for people with disabilities or in institutional care. These are the summer prices (until 27 September); from 28 September tickets are cheaper (standard tour from 40 lei). Tickets can also be bought online and often sell out in summer.

### Rules

ID is required for child and senior tickets, and a student card for student tickets. Animals are not allowed in the castle or on the paths leading to it, except assistance dogs (kept on a lead in the park). Smoking and e-cigarettes are banned in the castle and the park. For security reasons, bring as little luggage as possible. The route has narrow, steep stairs and is not suitable for wheelchairs.

### Facilities

Restaurant in the Tea House in the Royal Park (no castle ticket needed) · gift shop · guided tours in Romanian and English · staff trained in first aid

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1377–1388
- **Founder:** the people of Brașov
- **State of preservation:** restored
- **Collection type:** furniture, royal belongings
- **Guided tour:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Bran Castle

**How much is a ticket to Bran Castle?**

A ticket to Bran Castle costs 120 lei (children 60 lei, seniors 90 lei). Standard tour (castle and Royal Park): adults 120 lei, seniors over 65 90 lei, students 80 lei, children aged 5–17 60 lei, school groups (min. 20) 50 lei. Royal Tour with fast-track entry, the Torture Chambers and the Time Tunnel: 190 lei for adults, 130 lei for children; the guided version (Romanian/English, every hour on the hour): 230 lei for adults, 170 lei for children. The Torture Chambers and the Time Tunnel can be added separately for 30 lei each. Free for children under 5 and for people with disabilities or in institutional care. These are the summer prices (until 27 September); from 28 September tickets are cheaper (standard tour from 40 lei). Tickets can also be bought online and often sell out in summer.

**What are the opening hours of Bran Castle?**

Opening hours at Bran Castle: Monday 12:00 – 19:00, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00. Hours from 1 April to 1 November; 19:00 is the last admission. From 2 November to 31 March, last admission is at 18:00 (from 12:00 on Mondays, 9:00 on other days). The castle closes early for private events — check the hours on the official website.

**How long does a visit to Bran Castle take?**

A visit to Bran Castle takes about 1 – 1½ hours (castle and Royal Park).

**Can you visit Bran Castle with kids?**

Yes, Bran Castle is suitable for children (free under 5).

**Where can I park at Bran Castle?**

There is paid parking at Bran Castle (private car parks nearby). The castle has no car park of its own. There are several private paid car parks around it and along the DN73, 200–500 m from the entrance. They fill up quickly in summer and at weekends, so it is best to arrive in the morning.

**How do I get to Bran Castle?**

Bran Castle is located at Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran, Brașov County. By car: the castle is on the DN73 (E574) in the centre of Bran, ~30 km from Brașov (~35 minutes) and ~160 km from Bucharest (~2 hours 30 minutes, on the DN1 via Brașov). Public transport: buses to Bran–Moieciu leave Brașov's Autogara 2 bus station every 30 minutes on weekdays and every hour at weekends (~50 minutes, ~13 lei). The stop is in the centre of Bran, near the main entrance. Trains only go as far as Brașov.

**When is the best time to visit Bran Castle?**

The best season for Bran Castle: All year round (open all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sanctuarul-de-ursi-zarnesti) — Zoos and aquariums · Zărnești, BV · 95 lei · 1 – 1¼ hours · 12 km
  The Libearty Bear Sanctuary, on 69 hectares of forest near Zărnești: home to more than 120 brown bears rescued from captivity, visited only on guided tours. It is not a zoo.
- [Rucăr–Bran Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/culoarul-rucar-bran) — Scenic roads · Brașov County · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 15 km
  The pass between Piatra Craiului and the Bucegi: the DN73 climbs from Rucăr onto the Fundata plateau, over the Giuvala Pass at about 1,260 m, and descends to Bran past hamlets scattered on the ridges.
- [Râșnov Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-rasnov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Râșnov, BV · 10 lei · Top 100 · 15 km
  A medieval peasant fortress on a rocky hill above Râșnov, looking out to the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains; the upper enclosure is under restoration, but the Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower are open.
- [Valea Cetății Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-valea-cetatii) — Caves · Râșnov, BV · 35 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 16 km
  A lit cave on the slopes of Postăvarul, between Râșnov and Poiana Brașov, with a great hall over 20 m high, visited with a guide and sometimes used for concerts.
- [Dâmbovicioara Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-dambovicioara) — Caves · Dâmbovicioara, AG · 30 min · Top 100 · 18 km
  A small, easy-to-visit cave on the Rucăr–Bran corridor, in Piatra Craiului National Park: a dry gallery carved by the Dâmbovicioara stream, with about 250 m laid out and lit.
- [The Bucegi Sphinx](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sfinxul-din-bucegi) — Mountains and trails · Moroeni, DB · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 · 19 km
  An 8 m conglomerate rock shaped by wind, frost and rain that, from certain angles, looks like a human head; it stands on the Bucegi plateau at 2,216 m, next to Babele.

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Last updated: 22 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania