Dracula, king of all vampires, first of his kind, was just a man. The story, written by Bram Stoker (Author of Bram Stoker’s Dracula), took the legacy of a man, and made it the basis for his book. A story that has spanned the ages. The man was Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, and he once ruled over Wallachia. The horrors of his rule are remembered to this day. When we think of Vlad Tepes, we think of Transylvania and Dracula’s castle, and while he did have a castle, he also had a fortress. Poenari Fortress, also called Poenari Castle, or Castle Arges is believed by some to be haunted.
If you’re not familiar with the story behind the man, take a moment and check out Vlad Tepes, The Original Vampire.
Poenari Castle was built in the 13th century, under the rule of Negru Voda. Over the years, the castle fell into ruins, until Vlad Tepes found it in the 15th century. During his reign in Wallachia, Vlad came upon the fortress and realized its great value. Constructed on a steep mountain top. If you were to visit Poenari today, you would have to climb 1480 steps to reach it. Vlad envisioned its defense potential, and decided he would have it reconstructed, and then made it one of his main residences.
There is a story that claims that on Easter Day, 1456 Vlad and his men surrounded the locals of Târgoviște. He believed that they were responsible for the death of his brother Mircea, and that they were conspiring against him. They were captured, and those who were old, he impaled and posted them all around the city. The rest, dressed for Easter and taken as they were, were put to work on his reconstruction. Men, women, children all worked to restore the castle. They worked until their clothes were torn to pieces. It is said that the lucky ones died from exhaustion. Those who survived and were present at the completion of the reconstruction, were impaled alive and left on their spikes outside the castle.
As a young boy, Vlad and his brother, Radu, had been given to Sultan, Mehmed II, as hostages, so that their father could prove his loyalty. His goal was to keep the Ottomans out of Wallachia. Radu adjusted well to captivity, enjoying his lessons and even forged a friendship with the sultan’s sun. Vlad on the other hand, did not appreciate being a prisoner. While he was trained in the arts of war, specifically horsemanship and swordsmanship, he was also made to watch the impalement of the Ottoman’s enemies. As a man, the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II,
After the death of their father, Vlad was released to take his place on the Wallachian throne. However, by 1461, Mehmed II was ready to invade. His personal Janissary guard was larger than Vlad’s entire army. He knew he could take control, and place his own man, Vlad’s brother Radu, on the Wallachian throne.
Vlad was smart, however, and managed to capture and impale the Sultan’s two envoys. In February 1462, he attacked Ottoman territory, killing thousands of Turks and Bulgarians. With his brother, Radu, leading the army, he retreated to Transylvania, practicing a scorched earth policy, leaving nothing for the Ottoman army. By the time the Ottoman forces reached Târgoviște, they were presented with a “forest” of dead or dying bodies – Vlad had impaled over 20,000 of their people.
Radu built up their army once again, attracting allies from the nearby Saxon cities, who were not fans of Vlad. He then pursued his brother all the way to his fort, Poenari Castle.
As the army grew closer, Vlad knew he could not defeat them. His first wife, whose name is not known, exclaimed that she would rather rot and be eaten by fish, than be a prisoner of the Turks. As Radu and his men drew near, she flung herself from the towers. She died, smashed on the rocks. The river Arges turned red with her blood, giving it its nickname, “The Lady’s River.”
Vlad was able to escape through a secret passage in the mountains.
Some believe Poenari Castle is haunted. They claim you can hear the screams of the boyars that had been impaled and set on display during its reconstruction. They claim you can hear a woman’s scream from the towers. However, there is no real evidence of a haunting, only claims. In fact, Ghost Hunters International investigated Poenari Castle (Season 1, episode 14), and turned up nothing.
You cannot visit Poenari Castle today, but not because of anything paranormal. Unfortunately the area is an active area for Bears, and the danger is high. Visitation to Poenari Castle is managed by the Arges County Museum, and they expect visitors to be able to return in 2022. Remember, once you get there, there are 1480 steps to climb to reach the top (which can be compared to walking up the Statue of Liberty four times). Fortunately, there are plans to build a tram car to bring tourists up.
If you visit or have visited Poenari Castle, let us know, we’d love to hear about your experience.
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