Talking Transylvania and the Most Epic Halloween Party
When thinking about spooky Halloween destinations, Transylvania, Romania always comes to my mind.
Yep, it’s a real place. If you’ve never heard of Transylvania, it’s infamous for being Dracula’s hometown and is a classic setting for many Halloween movies! Last year, my sister, Jessica, decided to up her Halloween game and celebrated the holiday in this iconic region with her friends... because, why not? Read what she had to say about her experience here!
Photo: @_jmcnulty
What made you go to Transylvania for Halloween?
“My friend Jeff had this crazy idea to rent out Cantacuzino Castle in Transylvania for a Halloween party. I was lucky enough to receive an invite, so I booked my flight right away without a second thought! I mean, celebrating Halloween in the birthplace of Dracula himself? I wasn’t going to pass up on that.”
Who was invited?
“21 guys and 21 girls. We had a date pair-off so that everyone had a date to attend the party with from the list of people invited.”
What was included at the party?
“A 5-course meal inside the castle, photographer, DJ all night, open bar with signature ‘vampire’ cocktails, and decor including lasers, smoke machines, etc, … all set up by Jeff himself!”
Was there a dress code?
“As creepy as it sounds, everyone had to wear colored contacts, LOL. We also wore red, black or white irises and fangs (of course). Specifically, the theme was ‘Victorian Gothic Funeral,’ AKA vampire-looking clothes.”
What was your favorite part of the party?
“We all got ready at a huge Airbnb near the castle. It was so much fun - all of us helping each other with the fangs and makeup!”
What was your overall impression of Transylvania?
“Romania itself was interesting, to say the least. The people were very friendly and hardworking. There was a clear economic divide between the less fortunate and extremely wealthy people. Transylvania in general was like walking around inside of a Dracula novel. Pretty awesome.”
Photo: @_jmcnulty
Photo: @_jmcnulty
Did you encounter any “spooky” things while in Dracula’s castle?
“Oh yes, very creepy. Inside the actual Bran Castle - Dracula’s castle - there are garlic and vampire heads everywhere. Very eerie. Inside of the maze of a castle, there were many different rooms, some including ‘torture’ rooms used by the real Dracula - Vlad the Impaler! If you don't know, ‘Vlad the Impaler’ was one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.
The castle where the event was held was still eerie, but not so much as Bran Castle!”
What was your favorite part about the experience?
“The event itself. What made it even better was that I got to spend time with my friends who live all over the world. I also loved seeing everyone's different ‘vampire’ interpretations! The DJ rocked, and the drinks and food were delish!”
Photo: @_jmcnulty