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Details about different touristic attractions in Pitesti, surroundings, and Arges County may be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pite%C8%99ti
For additional information about Romania and Pitesti, see:
http://www.turism.ro/english/factual.php or http://www.visit-romania.ro
http://laleaua.opencaching.ro/page/2014/pitesti.en.html
Bran Castle (Romanian: Castelul Bran) (http://www.bran-castle.com), situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania.
The building of Bran Castle started somewhere around the year 1378. The castle had a protective and commercial purpose.
Many legends are connected with Bran Castle. It is said the castle belonged to Count Dracula (Vlad Tepes), but nobody has any proof. Vlad Tepes lived only for a short time in the castle and only as a guest.
In 1897 Bram Stoker wrote a terrifying story about Count Dracula. Stoker's story is based on the life of Vlad Tepes/Vlad the Impaler (1431-1476), a ruler revered by Romanians for standing up to the Ottoman Empire. Known as one of the most dreadful enemies of the Turks, Vlad started organizing the state and enforcing the law by applying death penalty and impaling all those he considered enemies. The historians nicknamed him Vlad Tepes while people say he was Count Dracula because he used to sign with his father's name, Dracul "The Devil". Dracula is derived from the Romanian word for devil or dragon.
Peleş Castle (http://www.peles.ro) is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia resort. It was built at the initiative of King Charles I of Romania in 1874.
The courtyard has a merry decoration, made out of plants and flowers; all round, the building's facades are animated by elegant drawings. The interior of the castle is a true wonder, due to the beauty and richness of the sculpted wood and the stained glass windows.
The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, consisting of statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armor, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries, and rugs. The collection of arms and armor has over 4,000 pieces, divided between Eastern and Western war pieces and ceremonial or hunting pieces, spreading over four centuries of history.
