Dracula's Castle is For Sale: Bran Castle in Brasov, Romania is on the Market

Bran Castle, more popularly known as Dracula's Castle, and which is reported to be the inspiration to Bram Stokers Dracula is up for sale for a cool $78 million dollars. The castle is expected to sell for closer to $135 million.

Bran Castle which is located in the village of Bran, was originally built in 1377 as a fortress was given to the royal family in 1920. The castle became a possession of the state in 1947 and was transformed into a museum in 1957. The Romanian government returned the castle to the habsburg family in 2006, under the condition that it remained a state-run museum for the next 3 years. Mr. Von Habsburg, a NYC graphic designer has decided he would rather collect the proceeds of any potential sale.

Bran Castle is a popular tourist attraction pulling in 450,000 visitors each year. The castle has no basement at all. In other words, no spooky crypt. It is built on a 200 ft tall rock overlooking the village of Bran. The 57 rooms and towers surround an inner court yard while other rooms are connected through underground passages. The castle sits atop 22 acres of land and additional acres may be attached to the sale.

The downside to buying one of the most popular castles in the world is it is extremely cold. There is no central heat-just a few electric radiators, and even with that you still need a winter coat inside the castle. Maintenance and Restoration bills could be more that just a pain in the neck since there is something that always needs to be fixed. Considering the building dates back to 1377, it is in reasonably good condition. The brighter side to owning the famed Dracula's Castle is it can be a money maker. With the museum up and running, you can still collect from all the paying customers, and you will be the new owner of a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and objects d'art from the 14th to 19th centuries.

The Habsburg family said the buyer would probably be European since they still want the castle and the property to be treated with appropriate respect. They don't want to see it turned into "Vampire Land". Only A buyer with the best intentions will be able to purchase the castle.

So if your looking to purchase a home with blood filled bathtubs and coffins with sleeping vampires in the basement this is not the home for you. Also the only real connection with the Dracula myth, and Vlad Tepes is that he was once imprisoned in the 13th century castle for 2 weeks. But if your looking for a great money making investment and a beautiful piece of history this may be the castle for you.