Dracula stirs TSD/August 2001

The existing Dracula tours, good or bad, span over broad Romanian territories – from southern, Valahian sites associated with the historical Dracula (Vlad Tepes), to the northernmost Transylvanian reaches – the Borgo Pass and its castle of the vampire-count, the climax of any meaningfull Dracula tours.
The distribution of Dracula-related sites (historical in the South, supernatural in the North) involves a rather lengthy intinerary and 6-8 stopovers, of 1 night each. Thus, the hotels in Targoviste, Curtea de Arges (Poienari), Sighisoara, Brasov-Bran, Bistrita, the Borgo Pass – had all their share of tourists, of revenues. Beside, the lengthy itinerary offered a fine coverage of Romania, a variety of landscapes. In a sense, the whole country was a Dracula-land.
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The Transylvanian Society of Dracula has always been aware of local project of expansion, which went no further than the stage of intention. The expansions were generally thought along the line of the existing specific (historic or supernatural) without elements borrowed from elsewhere, (exception: castle Bran – which, having neither, borrowed from everywhere. In another sense, Castle Bran - the American Castle Dracula - was the little “Dracula-land” of the recent past).
The sudden, determined announcement of the Ministry of Tourism regarding the construction of a major “Dracula-land” in Romania has given hope, at the beginning, to each and every Dracula-related site along the classic itineraries, be they historic or supernatural.
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Then the choice was made public: Sighisoara, in the middle of Transylvania. An estimated 1 million visitors a year would keep this theme-park running.
While Sighisoara exalted (not for long, as we shall see), the mood was low with the other Dracula sites. The fear was that the general tourist promotion campaign of the Ministry of Tourism (exhibitions, the network of Tourist-information offices, folders, etc. – impossible to match by each and every hotelier along the Dracula route) will divert the visitors toward this “Dracula-land”, to keep it alive. Will the visitors have any money or time left to see the other traditional Dracula sites?

A recent TSD survey (August) revealed the following aspects:


Sighisoara

More than 4,000 new jobs will be created by the theme-park, the infrastructure will be modernized – to the relief of an otherwise unemployed category of the local population. The Dracula-land, emplaced 5 km. away in a secular oak forest, will build its own castle, villa-type hotels, all kinds of dracularian traps and entertainments (the detailed contents have not yet been disclosed).
In the last 2 years, new small hotels, boutiques, bars and small restaurants did show up in and around the walled town of Sighisoara.
The star of them all, the main point of attraction has been the house inhabited by prince Vlad, nicknamed Dracul, between 1431-35, father of Vlad Dracula. No documents prove it, but the general assumption (more like a wishfull fact) is that Dracula was born here (he could have been born in Nuremberg or in any other place between Nuremberg and Sighisoara). Today, the house is a fine restaurant, beer-cellar and bar included.
The opening of new, attractive bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity of Vlad’s house, in great-looking ancient buildings, diverted some of the clients away from this house. What will happen when the Dracula-land opens its gates in 2003?
After the initial rejoicing, Sighisoara fears it will become an annex of the theme-park. The great historical and architectural assets will be engulfed by and assimilated to the fantasy world close-by.
Then, would the tourists choose hotels, bars, restaurants in Sighisoara, or within the Dracula-land?
Already, in front of Vlad’s house, a historical monument, a cardboard vampire (Bela Lugosi style) humbly invites visitors to enter and use the services of the restaurant. The owner there explained this cultural prostitution in terms of competitional necessities.
Are we seeing the tip of the iceberg – prefiguring the fate of Sighisoara?

Bistrita

In the hills bordering the Borgo Valley, not far from mediaeval Bistrita, 60 ha of land are earmarked for an alternative Dracula-land.
Initially offered to the Ministry of Tourism for the big project, the 60 ha. are being considered by some local businessmen as the last hope in attracting tourists to this remote, northern Transylvanian Dracula site (“Bistrita” is the first word opening chapter 1 of Bram Stoker’s novel).

Castle Dracula in the Borgo Pass

Although emplaced where Bram Stoker meant it to be, although the Centre of the draculistic world, the administrators of the castle do worry about the effects of the presence of the Dracula-land near Sighisoara (with its own, purpose-built, castle of the vampire-count). Would anyone care to drive 4 more hours to the heights of the Borgo, to Stoker’s location of the castle?
The plan here is to build a mini Dracula-land around the existing castle.

Curtea de Arges – Poienari

For a few years already, the tourist authority covering the historical fortress Dracula, Poienari, and the adjacent hotels, plan to build a replica of Poienari – in its vicinity, as a mediaeval-style hotel.
This area has also been considered as a possible location of the grand theme-park. Now, with someone else the winner, the same concern about a diminishing number of tourists, might speed up the old plans of expansion.

Castle Bran

Starting as a favourite in the competition to win the theme-park, this American-labeled Castle Dracula will not surrender without a fight.
The director of the Museum of Bran announced plans to build a Dracula land around the castle (he seems to have willing, foreign investors).
That might pose a problem to the theme-park in Sighisoara, as Bran (unlike the other Dracula sites) is in the way there.
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TSD cannot help recalling the prediction made in the former issues of this newsletter that the Dracula offer will split into pieces by the materialization of the theme-park, if unwisely emplaced.
TSD suggested that the park be emplaced where it belonged, in the Borgo Pass, the terminus point, maintaining all the other Dracula sites, with their wealth of informations and variety.
The struggle for tourists has just begun, something that makes Count Dracula rub his hairy hands in obvious satisfaction.