K.E. Skedgell

I haven't done a historical post in a while, so I thought since the start of book two in my Draculești series begins here, I will talk a little about Visegrád, a town in northern Hungary that holds one of King Mátyás Corvin's palaces. Visegrád Coat-of-Arms. Visegrád (Veesh-ay-grahd) is located about twenty miles (32 kilometers) north of Budapest on the east bank on the bend of the Danube River. The area is filled with dense forests and rolling hills and mountains, and from the top of the great hill shadowing the town one can take in the beautiful views from the partially reconstructed ruins of the thirteenth century fortress. Visegrád was first settled as a Roman military camp in the 4th century in a place called Sibrik Hill, located a little north of the current upper castle. The camp was later abandoned in the 5th century and a castle was built in its place, and thus the town had formed. In 1009, Visegrád was first mentioned as a county town and the chief town of an...

W hen most people hear of Castle Dracula, an image of a dark, many-towered castle perched upon a mountaintop with bats flying about and wolves howling in the distance is what usually comes to mind. Often there is a drawbridge with a great gorge beneath it, wind howling ready to take one off and impale them upon the craggy rocks below, vultures swirling in wait, and a nearby village of peasants (who you wonder why they just don't pack up and move) in constant fear of the castle's resident. You know, something like this: An artist's (not mine) portrayal of Castle Dracula. That is the image of Bram Stoker's vampire Dracula's castle often portrayed in the movies and video games. Romania, home to the historical Dracula, Vlad Țepeș (the Impaler), wants you to believe this is the real Castle Dracula: Bran Castle, in all its restored medieval glory. Bran Castle , located outside of the town of Bran in southeastern Transylvania, or central...

O ne of the places I would love to go before I die -- Romania. Below are links to a web forum for photographs I found one day dinking around. Many many gorgeous photos to browse through. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a virtual tour of one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. Romania In Pictures Romanian Castles View of Poenari Castle (top left on cliff, barely noticeable), the Castle Dracula, and surrounding area, the place where several scenes of my novel take place. Just, try to picture no road or bridge there and the river with more water. Click on photo for better view.