A night at Dracula's castle only for the brave

Dobre Cezar via Wikimedia Commons

On 31 October, the night of Halloween, two guests will relive the story of Jonathan Harker, the protagonist from Bram Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula, as they journey by horse-drawn carriage through Transylvania with the sun setting towards the horizon, heralding the hours of swooping bats and howling wolves. Finally, they will approach the awe-inspiring and misty mountain retreat, Bran Castle. The castle’s history dates back to the 14th century and served as the inspiration for Dracula's castle in Bram Stoker's celebrated novel.

The legend of dracula

Dacre Stoker, a well-respected vampire expert and passionate advocate of his great uncle’s novel, will meet the guests and recount tales of old, shining a light on the many dark secrets of vampire legends, some of which have never been told before. Dacre will explain the historical connection of how Vlad the Impaler, became known as Dracula and how the legend lived on for centuries. It’s up to the guests to decide if they should take heed of the stories or dismiss them as myths before they settle in for the night.

“Bran Castle is where the legend of Dracula was born, and I have many stories to share as I guide the guests through the dark secret passages of the castle for a private unveiling of its many mysteries. Bram Stoker included many references to real people and real historical anecdotes and questioned whether vampires are really a myth at all,” said Dacre Stoker.

After a journey through the castle’s labyrinth of dark corridors, creepy nooks, and squeaky staircases, the visitors will discover a secret passage, which will lead them to the grand dining room. There, an intimate candlelit dinner will await, prepared in a traditional way, exactly as described in Bram Stoker’s novel; a hearty, blood enriching meal of robber beef steak and paprika hendl chicken. Guests will then be left to sleep in luxurious velvet trimmed coffins in the seclusion of the count’s crypt and will spend the rest of the night in the castle completely alone, falling asleep to the creaks and whispers of the Transylvanian night and the sound of wolves roaming outside the castle walls.

When dawn breaks and the risk of vampires abates, the guests will celebrate with an early breakfast on the castle’s terrace, watching the sun rise over the beautiful Transylvania horizon.

“Last year, we invited you to spend a night with the dead in the Paris Catacombs, now the time has come for us to introduce an immortal legend. One lucky couple will have the chance to witness the true horrors of Dracula’s castle overnight, alone with no silver or garlic to aid their defense,” said Andrew Verbitsky, Airbnb’s general manager for Central and Eastern Europe. “Whether you have a passion for vampires or you are just a huge fan of Halloween, this is an experience not to be missed.”

How to become the next Jonathan Harker?

Visit the listing page to win the chance to spend one night in Dracula’s Castle. Your dark imagination and deep knowledge of vampires will prepare you well to answer this simple question: What would you say to the Count if you were to come face-to-fang with him in his own castle? Show us your vampiric wit by 11:59 p.m. CET on 26 October 2016 and you could be sleeping in his crypt as the witching hour approaches.

Not local? No worries. We’ll fly the winners in from anywhere in the world. The winner and their guest should be over 18 years old. Submissions should be between 50-500 characters or less in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese and 50-300 character or less in Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

House rules

• Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring!
• Beware! Vampires have been seen after the sun sets
• No garlic or garlic-scented items allowed, including perfume
• You are kindly requested to leave your silver jewelry at home
• The same rule applies for all holy symbols
• Do not cross the cutlery. In fact, please refrain from placing anything in a cross formation
• Be aware of the bats in the castle tower
• Be sure to extinguish all burning candles before going to bed
• Please close all curtains before sunrise
• The Count is not a fan of mirror selfies