24. Dracula - Transylvania

The famous Dracula's Castle was built in 1377, is located in the Transylvania region of Romania, and is officially called Bran Castle.

Local folklore of the period was rich with the supernatural, werewolves, and notions of the 'living dead'. The novelist Bram Stoker is credited with creating the Count Dracula character in 1820 in his writings by blending a real historical character (Vlad Tepes), with superstition (the 'living dead'), and the novelist's imagination (Vampires).

Vlad Tepes, aka 'Vlad the Impaler', was a Wallachian ruler known for imparting brutal corporal punishment on lawbreakers. In the Wallachian language, Dracula meant 'Devil', or one who showed 'courage, cruelty, and skills.'

Btw, it is noted that Stoker's Count Dracula is responsible for initiating the ever-popular vampire creature culture, with no less than 430 movies depicting the character.Read more