Dracula's Castle For Sale

The castle of the dark Prince Vlad the Impaler has been put up for sale by a Hapsburg heir. The medieval Bran Castle is located near Brasov in the mountainous and rugged region in central Romania. Of course Prince Vlad was immortalized by the work of Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel, "Dracula."
The accuracy of this cliff perched property being the actual home of the famously cruel warlord is largely imagined since his true home stands in ruins. Legend has it that he simply spent one night at this castle at some time in the 1400's.
The castle was built in the 14th century to serve as a fortress against the invading Ottoman Turks. The Romanian Royal Family, of whom Princess Ileana was the matriarch, moved into the castle in the 1920's and they remained there until it was confiscated by the then powerful communist regime in 1948. Extensive restoration was completed in the late 1980's after the fall of communism in Romania and was then opened to the public as a popular tourist attraction with the title of "Dracula's Castle."

The New York architect and Hapsburg heir, Archduke Dominic Hapsburg, came back into possession of the castle in May of 2006 and had pledged to keep the property open as a museum until 2009. He had offered to sell the castle to local authorities last year for an estimated $ 80 million, but the offer was declined.
Michael Gardner, chief executive of Baytree Capital, the company representing Hapsburg, has stated that "the Hapsburgs are not in the business of managing a museum" and the heir would being willing to sell "to the right purchaser under the right circumstances." Gardner has predicted the sale of the castle to exceed $ 135 million but added that the Archduke will only sell it to a buyer who will treat the property and its history with appropriate respect. Hapsburg went on to state that "aside from the castle's connection to one of the most famous novels ever written, Bran Castle is steeped in critical events of European history dating from the 14th century to the present. The government has priority as a buyer if it can match the best offer for the castle."

Although opposition lawmakers have claimed the government's decision to return the castle to Hapsburg was illegal due to procedural errors, it has not stopped the steady stream of some reported 450,000 people who visit every year.