Vlad tepes castle of glass

Wallachia is the southernmost region of Romania, bordered by Transylvania to the north and the Danube River on the south. It’s mostly flat land, used for agriculture and industry. At first glance, Wallachia may seem to lack the glamour and mystery of Transylvania.

But, look again…this is where early Romanian history happened!

Founded in 1290, Wallachia was originally supposed to serve as a buffer between Hungary and the Ottoman Turks.

Vlad tepes castle of glass

But in 1330, Wallachia won its independence from Hungary—the first of the Romanian regions to do so. It prospered in the 14^th century, but eventually fell to the Turks in 1417.

This is when Vlad Tepes—the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, written 400 years later—became famous.

Vlad was a Wallachian prince who ruled in 1448, 1456-1462, and 1476, following the deaths of his father and older brother. The name “Dracula” came from his father, Vlad Dracul, “Vlad the Dragon,” a title the elder Vlad received when he became a member of the Or