Is Dracula’s Castle Haunted? Two Guests Could Find Out This Halloween

If you’ve ever fancied spending a romantic evening in a medieval castle, sleeping peacefully, or not, in adjacent coffins, now is your chance. In surely the most unusual post to pop up on Airbnb, the castle of vampire overlord Dracula will creak open its wooden doors for two brave souls this Halloween.

The accommodation-sharing platform has announced a contest giving a winner and their guest the rare opportunity to spend All Hallows’ Eve at Bran Castle, where protagonist Jonathan Harker visits Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 gothic horror novel.

The night will be hosted by the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker, and promises a "hearty, blood-enriching meal" before heading to spend the night in velvet-trimmed coffins in the Count’s crypt.

Located in the mountains near the Romanian commune of Bran, on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, the fortress is seen as the likely inspiration for the castle in Stoker’s novel, which gave birth to an entire vampire genre. Bran Castle was also where Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler, believed to be the real-life inspiration for the character of Dracula, was thought to have been taken prisoner in 1462.

The castle is now open to the public for tours, but a chance to spend the night offers a rare opportunity to discover its hidden secrets.

"Nestled in the Carpathian mountains, high in the heart of Transylvania, lies the home of the most chilling tale of the nineteenth century,” reads the listing on Airbnb. “Are you brave enough to test the myth?"

The special guests for Halloween, who will be flown in from anywhere in the world, will be decided based on answers to the question: “What would you say to the Count if you were to come face-to-fang with him in his own castle?”

The winners, sans garlic, will take a horse-drawn carriage through Transylvania "as the sun sets towards the horizon, heralding the hours of swooping bats and howling wolves." Upon arriving at the castle, the knock at the door will be answered by Dacre Stoker, a vampire expert, who will be the guide for the evening.

“Bran Castle is where the legend of Dracula was born and I am thrilled to welcome and guide you through the dark passages of the castle for a private unveiling of its many mysteries,” Stoker said.