Poenari Castle on Mount Cetatea, Făgăraș Mountains, Romania
© porojnicu/Getty Image
A castle fit for a count
Peeking out above the trees in the Făgăraș Mountains of Romania is Poenari Castle, a fortress steeped in history and legend. In the 15th century, this castle was occupied by the notorious ruler Vlad III, aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Vlad Dracula.
Vlad wasn't a vampire, but he had a reputation for cruelty towards his enemies. His bloody resistance to Ottoman encroachment made him a national hero and the subject of much folklore—some of it gruesome. These tales are likely what inspired author Bram Stoker to name his fictional vampire Count Dracula.
Poenari Castle was abandoned decades after Vlad's death in 1476. Over the centuries, it fell into ruin as earthquakes and landslides sent parts of the building down the cliff and into the Argeș River below. Visiting the ruins today requires a bit of stamina. It's a 1,480-step climb to the citadel walls, unless you can change into a bat and fly to the top.
Related Images
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
The village of Aguerd Oudad and the larger town of Tafraout in Morocco
Path to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country, Spain, for the 'Game of Thrones' premiere
Hope Valley, Peak District, England
Mua Caves in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam
Shoreline near Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
A rider hunts with an eagle in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Rajgad Fort near Pune, India
Bing Today Images
