


{"id":7412,"date":"2022-10-27T06:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T05:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/?p=7412"},"modified":"2024-05-16T16:50:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-16T15:50:54","slug":"bran-castle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/bran-castle\/","title":{"rendered":"What to expect when you visit the iconic Bran Castle after hours with Insight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<p>\u201c<em>I want you to believe&#8230;to believe in things that you cannot.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2015 Bram Stoker, Dracula<\/p>\n<p>Hidden in a Transylvanian forest, perched atop a 200-foot-high crag at the base of the Carpathian mountains, stands the imposing Bran Castle. This national landmark is a picture portrait of Gothic mystery with soaring towers, looming turrets and a haunting presence. Cemented in the cultural zeitgeist by Stoker\u2019s infamous novel, the castle is now an immensely popular landmark known throughout the world.<\/p>\n<p>Yet with popularity, comes crowds. With this special Insight experience, you can bypass the regular tourists with an exclusive after-hours tour around the mysterious castle.<\/p>\n<p>After exploring eerie passageways and ominous chambers, celebrate escaping Dracula\u2019s lair with a wonderful and private Transylvanian dinner in Queen Mary\u2019s tea house. All of this and more, as part of Insight\u2019s 18-day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/tours\/treasures-of-the-balkans\">Treasures of the Balkans<\/a> tour.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/five-fairytale-castles-to-discover-in-the-balkans\/\">Five incredible castles to discover in the Balkans<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<h3 class=\"legacy-post-title\">YOUR INSIGHTFUL VISIT TO BRAN CASTLE<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap \"><div class=\"td-fix-index\"><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cju1S-djZVP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cju1S-djZVP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cju1S-djZVP\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Romania (@romania)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<p>The medieval fortress that inspired Stoker\u2019s novel is one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.romania-insider.com\/bran-castle-turnover-visitor-2017\">Romania\u2019s most popular tourist destinations<\/a>. While an incredible and unique experience, the mystery and intimacy of the 14th century citadel is somewhat lost when surrounded by crowds of tourists.<\/p>\n<p>Smugly enjoy the privacy and exclusivity of seeing Bran Castle after hours, when regular tourists are ushered out. You\u2019ll rendezvous with a Local Expert who will take you on a private tour through the interior of Bran Castle\u2019s gloomy walls. Expect winding stairways and underground passages, finding eerie oddities like a secret stairway leading to an aged wood-paneled library. Take a visit to the sinister torture rooms, an especially spooky affair if you visit Bran Castle on Halloween.<\/p>\n<p>Listen carefully as your Local Expert spins tales and legends around Count Dracula and Queen Marie of Romania, the last inhabitant of the castle (1920-1938). You\u2019ll learn about the real 15th-century nobleman whom Stoker used as inspiration for his novel, Vlad Dracula. Rather than a menacing villain, he is considered a Romanian national hero for fearlessly fighting against invaders, earning him the name \u2018Vlad the Impaler\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/exploring-the-balkans-with-insight-vacations-tour-director-hugh-mcmillan\/\">Exploring the Balkans with Insight Vacations Tour Director Hugh Mcmillan<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<h3 class=\"legacy-post-title\">DINNER IN QUEEN MARIE&#8217;S TEA HOUSE<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"legacy-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/queen-marie-tea-house.png\" alt=\"post image\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<p>Celebrate your adventurous foray into the eerie citadel with a wonderful dining experience in Queen Marie&#8217;s tea house. Queen Marie, given ownership of the castle in 1920, turned an old barn located at the foot of the castle hill into a quaint tea house. It was then recently renovated under the patronage of Dominik von Hapsburg, Marie\u2019s grandson who now owns the estate.<\/p>\n<p>Expect an indulgent and private 3-course dinner including wine from Transylvania\u2019s local regions. A few samples from the tea house\u2019s 2022 menu include:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Homemade duck p\u00e2t\u00e9 with duck lark, wild berries chutney and crostini,<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Butter with salt crystals and truffles<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Zacusca \u2013 local vegetarian spread dish with vegetables and truffles<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Smoked fish tartar (trout and salmon), capers and lime<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Roasted beef with potatoes, puree with truffles, asparagus cream and salted butter with truffle<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Risotto with saffron, artichokes, dried tomatoes, green vegetables and parmesan<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Coliva \u2013 the traditional funeral dessert &amp; Count dessert &#8211; a traditional Romanian dessert made with boiled wheat, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and rum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<h3 class=\"legacy-post-title\">WHAT ELSE YOU DO ON YOUR BALKANS TOUR<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap \"><div class=\"td-fix-index\"><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cj0yyy5rARc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cj0yyy5rARc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cj0yyy5rARc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Visit Sarajevo (@visitsarajevo.ba)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<div class=\"legacy-blog-column\">\n<p>When on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/tours\/treasures-of-the-balkans\">Treasures of the Balkans<\/a> tour, your Gothic escapade inside Bran Castle is but a small stop on an 18-day adventure.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll see the gorgeous Dalmatian coast and the beautiful cities of Dubrovnik and Kotor, soaking up sun and the pearly blue waters of the Adriatic. Then, take a journey through European history with a visit to the former Communist headquarters of Romania in Bucharest, Bosnia\u2019s Tunnel of Hope in Sarajevo and Roman ruins in Sofia.<\/p>\n<p>Connect with the local community as you sit down with a Sarajevan family for a feast of local cuisine and traditional Bosnian coffee, sharing stories of local life. Then, travel to Budapest, where your tour eventually ends. As you return home from your Balkan adventure, the memory of Bran Castle&#8217;s mysterious energy will remain stark for years to come.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/a-guide-to-the-beautiful-croatian-coastline\/\">A guide to the Croatian coastline<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI want you to believe&#8230;to believe in things that you cannot.\u201d \u2015 Bram Stoker, Dracula Hidden in a Transylvanian forest, perched atop a 200-foot-high crag at the base of the Carpathian mountains, stands the imposing Bran Castle. This national landmark is a picture portrait of Gothic mystery with soaring towers, looming turrets and a haunting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":7415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1166,1824],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-history-heritage"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What to expect on your after hours visit to Bran Castle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With this special Insight experience, expect an exclusive after-hours tour around mysterious Bran Castle and a private Transylvanian dinner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/bran-castle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to expect on your after hours visit to Bran Castle with Insight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With this special Insight experience, expect an exclusive after-hours tour around mysterious Bran Castle and a private Transylvanian dinner\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/bran-castle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Insight Vacations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-27T05:00:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-16T15:50:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/unknown_181666139_529841138424962_7656069187788398597_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1351\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jason Brasier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What to expect on your after hours visit to Bran Castle with Insight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"With this special Insight experience, expect an exclusive after-hours tour around mysterious Bran Castle and a private Transylvanian dinner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.insightvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/unknown_181666139_529841138424962_7656069187788398597_n.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jason Brasier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/bran-castle\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/bran-castle\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jason Brasier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3e01acd3371b23ba17f7d2b1dd328c97\"},\"headline\":\"What to expect when you visit the iconic Bran Castle after hours with Insight\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-27T05:00:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-16T15:50:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/bran-castle\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3021,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/bran-castle\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.insightvacations.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/unknown_181666139_529841138424962_7656069187788398597_n.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Europe\",\"History &amp; 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