Ever wanted to own something strange, unique or creepy? Well, now is your chance because Dracula’s castle is up for sale. The castle was originally priced at $139 million but was offered to the Romanian government for only $80 million.
Before you get your checkbook out, you should know that Count Dracula never really lived in the castle. In fact, he never really lived at all. Although Count Dracula has been portrayed as a real person in countless books and films, nobody by that name ever existed
Count Dracula was actually based on a man named Vlad Dracul. Vlad had a nasty reputation and habit of impaling and torturing his victims. This earned him the nickname Vlad the Impaler. Unfortunately, Vlad Dracul never lived in the castle either, but he was imprisoned there for several months in 1462.
The castle was the inspiration for Bram Stroker’s novel, even though it is not likely that he visited it. Stroker read descriptions of the castle and based his story on them.
Even though the castle may not have been home to a real vampire, it is still a beautiful example of 14th century architecture and is visited by thousands of people every year. Most of them are vampire fans.
While the average person might not be able to afford the castle, the seller is hoping that someone with an interest in its history and legends will buy it. The castle averages around 560,000 visitors every year and whoever owns the castle could easily make money by charging admission to tour it.
The sellers seem motivated and could drop the price again if it does not sell soon.
Are you surprised to learn that neither Count Dracula nor Vlad Dracul ever lived in the castle and do you think it will sell for the asking price of $80 million?
Image via Wikimedia Commons