We vant to suck your blood
Even before Bela Lugosi muttered those infamous words ''I never drinkā¦ wine'' in his 1920s stage and film versions of Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampires have been ingrained in our culture. Never more than now. Writers Anne Rice and Stephen King helped keep vampires alive and recent television shows, movies, and books like True Blood and Twilight have introduced vampires to a whole new generation.
Indeed, tour groups around the world are helping the vampire imagery come to life with excursions to a number of eerie places-from the legendary Bran Castle (a.k.a Dracula's Castle) in Romania to historic vampire haunts in New Orleans. Even the small town of Forks, Wash., has become flooded with Twilight-crazed fans hoping to catch a glimpse of locations made popular by the sexy teen vampires.
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For true vampire devotees, a must-see is the area of Romania known as Transylvania, home to Vlad the Impaler, the historical inspiration for Dracula. Simion Alb, Director of the Romanian National Tourist Office of North America, says, ''One of the most fascinating ways to see Romania is through the Count's eyes.'' For the living who want an up-close Dracula experience, tours take guests on the Dracula Trail.
Most tours follow the book and include historical sites like Sighisoara (birthplace of Dracula), considered the best preserved medieval fortress in Europe, or Dracula's Tomb, supposedly on Snagov Island and only accessible by boat. The Count Dracula Club in Bucharest is always primed for a vampire-themed costume party. As for the best time to go to Romania, Alb says it's fall. ''Halloween is inextricably linked with Dracula and what place is more associated with him than Transylvania?'' he says.
Text and images: Copyright Forbestraveler.com Any unauthorised reproducton is prohibited.
Image: Forks, Washington
Even before Bela Lugosi muttered those infamous words ''I never drinkā¦ wine'' in his 1920s stage and film versions of Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampires have been ingrained in our culture. Never more than now. Writers Anne Rice and Stephen King helped keep vampires alive and recent television shows, movies, and books like True Blood and Twilight have introduced vampires to a whole new generation.
Indeed, tour groups around the world are helping the vampire imagery come to life with excursions to a number of eerie places-from the legendary Bran Castle (a.k.a Dracula's Castle) in Romania to historic vampire haunts in New Orleans. Even the small town of Forks, Wash., has become flooded with Twilight-crazed fans hoping to catch a glimpse of locations made popular by the sexy teen vampires.
In Pictures: 10 Vampire Vacations
North America's Top Shark-Attack Beaches
World's Scariest Sports
Video: World's Most Expensive Cruise Ship
World's Top Tourist Traps
For true vampire devotees, a must-see is the area of Romania known as Transylvania, home to Vlad the Impaler, the historical inspiration for Dracula. Simion Alb, Director of the Romanian National Tourist Office of North America, says, ''One of the most fascinating ways to see Romania is through the Count's eyes.'' For the living who want an up-close Dracula experience, tours take guests on the Dracula Trail.
Most tours follow the book and include historical sites like Sighisoara (birthplace of Dracula), considered the best preserved medieval fortress in Europe, or Dracula's Tomb, supposedly on Snagov Island and only accessible by boat. The Count Dracula Club in Bucharest is always primed for a vampire-themed costume party. As for the best time to go to Romania, Alb says it's fall. ''Halloween is inextricably linked with Dracula and what place is more associated with him than Transylvania?'' he says.
Text and images: Copyright Forbestraveler.com Any unauthorised reproducton is prohibited.
Image: Forks, Washington
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