2025 – Bran

The camp in Bran, next to the most famous Eastern European Castle, Dracula’s Castle, lies between the cliffs of the Transylvanian Alps. The setting takes you back to medieval ages, with knights and princesses, and it’s easy to get caught up in the tale while driving along winding roads through dense, dark, ancient forests, and mountain passes.

Some say that Transylvania sits on one of earth’s strongest magnetic fields and its people have extra-sensory perceptions. Vampires are believed to hang around crossroads on St. George’s Day, April 23rd, and the eve of St. Andrew, November 29th. Looming ominously in the shadow of Bucegi Mountains, Castle Bran, as seen from the camp, is a dark and gloomy edifice towering over a bed of stone – a gruesome though beautifully preserved fortress, straight from Bram Stocker’s story.

Located 20 km southwest of Braşov, commonly known as Dracula’s Castle, the Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of Teutonic Order in 1212. The first documentary attestation of the Bran Castle is the act issued on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The building started in 1378 as a defence against Turkish warriors and later became a Customs Post on the pass between Transylvania and Wallachia.

The Bran Camp’s setting, only half a mile from the Castle, has a few nice hotel-like villas, with a medieval architecture restaurant, a round trout pond and a small water stream running through inside the restaurant. The facilities are very well equipped, with modern central heating and en suite bathrooms with nonstop cold and hot water, rooms with cable TV and many satellite channels, indoor heated swimming pool and tennis tables, free Jacuzzi and Sauna, etc.

The view in the garden is magnificent. Mountains all around, and a clear sky above. The food provided is made of only natural ingredients, serving is particularly good, making a feast out of every meal.

The schedule will be filled with many special activities like paintball workshops in the forest nearby, an archery and cross-bows workshop to bring out the medieval knight out of everyone! A large covered comfortable terrace will also accommodate our assembly and some of our daily scheduled activities while at night will turn into a busy fancy disco!