People visiting the fabulous medieval castle of Törcsvár (Bran) – believed by many to have been the home of Dracula – can mix some fun with something useful, as a part of the castle has been transformed into a vaccination center for weekend inoculations, Hungarian newspaper, főtér.ro reports.
The operators of the castle, together with the competent authorities, set up a vaccination center in the building of the former customs house and will be administering vaccinations on the weekends. The rules are quite easy: Romanian citizens interested in getting vaccinated can simply walk into the center and receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. No prior registration is needed, only an ID card and a consent form. Those receiving the shot can then also visit the exhibit of medieval torture equipment for free, plus will receive a certificate recognizing “the courage and responsibility” of those who get vaccinated. “See you in the next 100 years in Törcsvár Castle,” the diploma also states.
🧛🏻♂️ Vaccinare de neuitat!
🆕 Acum la Castelul Bran!💪 Dai dovadă de curaj și responsabilitate, vei fi așteptat la…
Közzétette: RO Vaccinare – 2021. május 7., péntek
The month-long vaccination campaign started on Friday, May 7, and awaits the brave and responsible on Fridays between 14:00 and 20:00, Saturday between 10:00 and 20:00, and Sunday between 10:00 and 18:00.
A similar action was organized in Déva (Deva): During its Green Friday campaign – promoting environmentally friendly transportation – cyclists were able to get vaccinated at drive-through vaccination points.
The first mention of Törcsvár Castle was in an act issued by Louis I of Hungary in 1377, granting the Saxons of Brassó (Kronstandt/Brașov) permission to build a stone castle at their own expense on a hill overlooking the Törcsvár Gorge, an important pass into the Carpathian Basin.
It had strategic and military importance up until the middle of the 18th century, and a customs point was established there while it was held briefly by Mircea the Elder of Wallachia. Törcsvár then became the property of Hungarian kings, but due to the failure of King Vladislaus II to repay his loans, it reverted to the city of Brassó. After the Treaty of Trianon, the castle became the property of the Romanian royal family and was then seized by the Communist regime in 1948.
While the castle – with over half a million visitors a year – is the best-known touristic attraction in Romania on account of its link to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the “Dracula’s Castle” moniker is entirely made up. Vlad III – also known as Vlad the Impaler – was the infamous ruler of Wallachia in the first half of the 15th century, but according to historians, he never set foot in the castle itself.
Title image: The castle of Törcsvár. Photo: Dénes Albert
