Dracula's Castle For Sale

The family in Bucharest, Romania that owns Bran Castle -- famous for its connection to the 15th century medieval ruler who inspired "Dracula" -- plans to sell the fortress to local authorities for $78 million.

1 minute read

January 18, 2007, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The castle was returned to Habsburg, a New York architect, in May. It was confiscated by the Communists from Habsburg's mother, Princess Ileana, in 1948, the year the royals were forced to leave the country."

"...Concerns were raised that the family could sell the castle to a hotel chain and that the site could end up being the centerpiece of a Dracula theme park that would blight the surrounding, pristine countryside some 105 miles north of Bucharest.

More than 400,000 visitors a year visit the castle -- mainly because of its loose association with "Vlad the Impaler," the legendary prince whose cruelty inspired novelist Bram Stoker's creation, the vampire Count Dracula."

Wednesday, January 10, 2007 in Associated Press

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Young woman and man seated on subway car looking at phones.

Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features

It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.

4 hours ago - BGR

Ohio state capitol dome against dramatic lightly cloudy sky.

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production

A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.

5 hours ago - Daytona Daily News

Aerial view of Interstate 290 or Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant

Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog Chicago

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.