Bran is the village with the castle that the whole world calls Dracula's, and that is both its fortune and its problem. The castle, perched on a rock above the road, was built in the late fourteenth century by the Saxons of Brașov as a fortress and customs post guarding the pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. There is no solid evidence that Vlad the Impaler, the real figure behind the legend, ever spent much time here, and Bram Stoker never visited Romania, but the castle looks the part, and the tourist industry has run with it. In the twentieth century it was a royal residence, much loved by Queen Marie, and its rooms are furnished in her style.
The village below the castle is full of souvenir stalls, restaurants and guesthouses, and on summer weekends and around Halloween it is packed with tourists and coaches. Step away from the main street, though, and you find a different Bran: the villages of Moieciu, Șimon and Măgura spread across green hills between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains, with farms, haystacks and wooden houses. Local shepherds make a cheese stuffed into fir bark, which gives it a resinous flavour, and you will find it sold at roadside stalls.
The road from Brașov to Bran is busy, especially at weekends, and it is not the best part of the ride. South of Bran, however, the road climbs over the pass toward Rucăr, the old route between the two principalities, and it is a fine ride. The road winds up through meadows and forest, with views of the limestone ridge of Piatra Craiului on one side and the Bucegi on the other, and then drops down into the Dâmbovița valley. Tarmac is mostly fine; the hazards are slow cars, horse carts, sheep and tourists braking without warning for a photo.
Bran has fuel, shops and many places to eat and stay, so it is easy to stop here. If you want to see the castle, go early in the morning on a weekday to avoid the worst of the crowds. The surrounding area is a great place for a walk or a night in a guesthouse, with the mountains all around. Expect cooler air than in the valley, especially in the evenings, and carry rain gear.