Transylvania, Romania

Transylvania is the most beautiful region in Romania, and arguably one of the best Halloween destinations in Europe. With timeless villages, colorful citadels, striking fortified churches, and over 118 castles, this place really looks and feels like a fairytale-like realm. For that reason, this place is also home to a variety of myths and legends that really "come to life" during Halloween, when the present is twisted with legends and long-lasting Romanian traditions.

A well-loved Halloween activity here in Transylvania is the Halloween Party at Bran Castle, which is also known as Dracula’s Castle. The castle is located in a small town near Brasov, and it looks straight off the pages of his famous vampire novel. However, Bran Castle is just one of the many magnificent castles dotted around Transylvania. If you want to see a true work of art, head to Hunedoara and visit The Haunted Corvin Castle. Built-in the 14th century in a Renaissance-Gothic style, the Corvin Castle is not only one of the most spectacular citadels in Romania, but also one of its most haunted. With mighty red-tiled turrets, inner stone courtyards, and medieval torture chambers, it seems perfectly fitting for Halloween.

If what brought you to Transylvania in the first place was an appetite for vampire stories, then there’s no better place to spend Halloween than Sighisoara - the "Dracula’s Birthplace". This place is a UNESCO Heritage Site and is the best preserved still inhabited medieval citadel in Europe. While here, visit the Vlad Dracul House – the place where Vlad the Impaler was reputedly born, which is now a restaurant. Or, better yet, climb the iconic Clock Tower for a fantastic view of Sighisoara and its eerily beautiful surroundings.