Back to business. Targoviste was not the only place that Vlad the Impaler called home: he also lived in Poienari Castle. The original castle dates from the 13th century, but its rulers abandoned it and soon the whole structure was in ruins. When Vlad’s brother was assassinated, the infamous leader took revenge; he had the elite of Targoviste murdered and forced the young men to repair his lair. From here, Vlad the Impaler would launch a lot of attacks against the Ottoman Empire. Given the location of the castle on a very steep rock formation, Vlad’s enemies could hardly fight against him.
Even nowadays it isn’t easy to access the remains of the building; 1500 steps are waiting for you. And I have to say that we didn’t make it. Lars and I had underestimated the distance between our point of departure and the castle and moreover, the rainy weather had slowed us down considerably. When we arrived at our destination, the sun had returned, but we did not have enough time to climb all the steps. So you have to make do with some shots of the exterior.
By the way, you can combine your visit to Poienari Castle with a trip on one of the most spectacular roads of Romania (or even the world). The castle happens to be located on the plateau of Mount Cetatea. Have a look here for our version of this adventure.
Finally, you could ask yourself if this castle was the inspiration for Dracula’s castle in the novel by Bram Stoker. But it wasn’t. Historians have proven that the author was not aware of its existence; Poeinari Castle is quite far way from the Borgo Pass, where Stoker locates the action. There is another contender however, but more about that in another post.