Bran · Peleș · Corvin · Râșnov · Făgăraș · Cantacuzino
Which castle do you visit?
Six castles, six different answers. Below: the verdict by your time and base, the comparator with official ticket prices, and the best visiting days with measured road distances.
The quick verdict
Pick by your time, base and party. Distances are measured by road (OSRM/OpenStreetMap).
| One day from Brașov | Bran + Râșnov | 30.7 km to Bran, then 13.8 km on to Râșnov: the 1377 fortress plus the Râșnov garden and panorama, about 60 km of driving in total. On 7 November 2026, Bran’s last entry is 15:00 for a private event; check the seasonal schedule for your travel date. |
|---|---|---|
| Two days from Brașov | Day 2: Peleș + Cantacuzino | 45.6 km Brașov–Sinaia, 8.3 km Sinaia–Bușteni: royal interiors in the morning, Nevermore in the afternoon. Peleș is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 2 November through 1 December 2026 inclusive. This selector does not ask for your travel date; check the museum’s opening calendar for your chosen day before booking. |
| From Sibiu | Corvin, there and back | 127.4 km / about 2 h each way, measured: the country's most Gothic castle, adult ticket 55 lei. Open from noon on Mondays. |
| With kids | Cantacuzino + Bran | Wednesday at Bușteni (under-5s free), the Time Tunnel at Bran. Both open on Mondays. |
| Minimum budget | Râșnov + Făgăraș | The Râșnov outer garden plus Făgăraș fortress (adult 30 lei, pupils 10 lei). Făgăraș is closed on Mondays. |
| One single pick | Peleș, if it is open | Royal interiors at Peleș, when open: 100 lei for adults; Romanian-language tours have no extra fee. Peleș is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 2 November through 1 December 2026 inclusive. This selector does not ask for your travel date; check the museum’s opening calendar for your chosen day before booking. |
The best days, in measured legs
Every leg is measured by road, not as the crow flies. Totals add up from the legs.
Method: OSRM car routes on OpenStreetMap, measured on 2 October 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops.
The Bran + Râșnov day, from Brașov
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brașov | Bran | 30.7 | 34 |
| Bran | Râșnov | 13.8 | 18 |
| Râșnov | Brașov | 15.4 | 22 |
| Total driving | 59.9 | 74 | |
The Peleș + Cantacuzino day, from Brașov
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brașov | Sinaia | 45.6 | 57 |
| Sinaia | Bușteni | 8.3 | 16 |
| Bușteni | Brașov | 39.5 | 54 |
| Total driving | 93.4 | 127 | |
The Corvin day, from Sibiu (there and back)
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sibiu | Hunedoara | 127.4 | 119 |
| Hunedoara | Sibiu | 127.4 | 119 |
| Total driving | 254.8 | 238 | |
Map
Positions from each site's coordinates; towns for orientation. Relief: Copernicus GLO-90 model. Scale bar: 50 km.
The castles, one by one
Compare all six
Regular adult fares were checked on 2 October 2026; seasonal offers and special tickets are listed separately in each castle card.
| Castle | Adult ticket | Hours | Closed | Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bran | 100 RON (adult; checked 2 Oct) | 1 Apr–1 Nov: Mon 12–19, Tue–Sun 9–19; 2 Nov–31 Mar: Mon 12–18, Tue–Sun 9–18 (last entry) | Monday before noon | Brașov |
| Peleș | 100 lei | Wednesday 10:00–17:00; Thursday–Sunday 9:15–17:00 | Mon–Tue; 2 Nov–1 Dec 2026 | Sinaia / Brașov |
| Corvin | 55 lei | 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027: Mon 12–17, Tue–Sun 9–17 | Monday before noon | Sibiu |
| Râșnov | garden ticketed* | — | interior (works) | Brașov |
| Făgăraș | 30 lei | Tue–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00 (1 Oct–3 Apr) | Mon closed; last entry one hour before closing | Brașov / Sibiu |
| Cantacuzino | 85 RON | 10:00–19/20:00 | open daily | Bușteni / Sinaia |
* Râșnov outer garden: the town hall announces a fee but publishes no amount. Bran’s regular adult fare of 100 RON was checked on 2 October 2026; check the current price for the ticket you choose. On 31 October, the daytime New Moon ticket starts at 300 RON; the Bran card gives the conflicting last-entry times. On 7 November 2026, Bran’s last entry is 15:00 for a private event; this is a one-day exception.
Bran Dracula
- Border fortress at the Bran pass; its «birth certificate» is the privilege of 19 November 1377 granted to Brașov.
- Queen Marie's favourite residence from 1920; today a museum with a royal park, torture chambers and the Time Tunnel.
- The only Transylvanian castle matching Bram Stoker's description — «the whole world calls it Dracula's Castle» (official site).
Visiting: Published schedule: 1 Apr–1 Nov, Mon 12:00–19:00, Tue–Sun 9:00–19:00; 2 Nov–31 Mar, Mon 12:00–18:00, Tue–Sun 9:00–18:00 (last entry). One-day exception: on Saturday, 7 November 2026, a private event sets last entry at 15:00. The regular adult reference fare of 100 RON was checked on 2 October; check the official page for the current price of your chosen ticket. Halloween (24 October–1 November 2026) has separate tickets: on 31 October, the daytime New Moon ticket starts at 300 RON and evening packages start at 800 RON. No regular guided tours take place during this period. For New Moon on 31 October, the event page says last entry is 17:00, while the ticket page says 19:00. The ticket page also lists standard products; confirm your ticket and entry time with the operator before travelling.
Peleș National Museum
- Visits to Peleș and Pelișor use timed ticket slots.
- Daily visitor limits are 2,000 at Peleș and 1,500 at Pelișor; Romanian-language tours form at the entrance at no extra cost.
- Run by the Peleș National Museum, under the Ministry of Culture.
Visiting: Wed 10:00–17:00, Thu–Sun 9:15–17:00, Mon–Tue closed. Adult 100 lei Peleș / 30 lei Pelișor; last entry 16:00. Closed for overhaul: Pelișor 28 Sep–3 Nov 2026, Peleș 2 Nov–1 Dec 2026. Tickets are non-refundable.
Corvin Gothic
- First building phase finished before 1446, under John Hunyadi, governor of Hungary.
- Late Gothic: the Capistrano tower keeps the monument's only Gothic fireplace.
- A museum with a castle tour; guiding in Romanian, English and Hungarian.
Visiting: Winter schedule (1 October 2026–31 March 2027): Mon 12:00–17:00, Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00. Adult 55 lei; guiding 60 lei (RO) / 100 lei (EN/HU); photo 15, video 30.
Râșnov garden only
- First medieval fortress raised in 1211–1225 by Saxons and Teutonic knights; the stone walls are Saxon work.
- Withstood the sieges of 1335 (Tatars) and 1421 (Ottomans); the community's refuge until the 18th century.
- The interior is a restoration site: only the Outer Garden (ticketed) and the panoramic platform can be visited.
Visiting: The fortress is closed; the town hall's announced date (2024) has passed. The panoramic platform is free on foot, ticketed on the inclined lift. No amount published officially.
Făgăraș museum
- Documented 1455: «our fortress of Făgăraș» (John Hunyadi to the Brașovans).
- Noble and princely residence in the 16th–17th centuries; 11 Diets held here between 1670 and 1691.
- Today the «Valer Literat» Făgăraș Country Museum; disposable overshoes compulsory on the circuit.
Visiting: Winter schedule (1 October 2026–3 April 2027): Mon closed, Tue–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00. Last entry is one hour before closing. Adult 30 lei, pupils/students 10, pensioners 15. Tickets only at the entrance office.
Cantacuzino Wednesday
- Filming location for Wednesday / Nevermore Academy (the official site's note).
- Three formulas: castle + gallery + park, castle + park, gallery + park; guided tours in Romanian and English.
- Bușteni, 1 Zamorei Street; park with grotto, fountains, hunting tower and church.
Visiting: Mon–Thu 10:00–19:00, Fri–Sun 10:00–20:00. Adult 85 RON (castle + gallery + park) or 65 (castle + park); park alone 25; parking 20 RON/4h. Under-5s and disabled visitors enter free.
Făgăraș sits halfway on the Brașov–Sibiu road (DN1): 67.9 km / 75 min from Brașov, 77.0 km / 84 min on to Sibiu, measured. Visit it on the way, not as a full-day destination.
Practical
Tickets
Book Bran and Peleș online: Bran often sells out, Peleș sells timed slots with 2,000 places/day. Făgăraș sells tickets only at the gate.
Mondays
Closed on Mondays: Peleș (plus Tuesdays) and Făgăraș. Bran and Cantacuzino are open; Bran opens at noon on Mondays. Corvin's winter schedule (1 October 2026–31 March 2027) is Mon 12:00–17:00 and Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00.
Money
Among regular adult fares checked on 2 October, Bran and Peleș were tied at 100 lei. Bran’s Halloween tickets are separate. Făgăraș costs 30 lei; Râșnov announces a fee but publishes no amount.
Bases
Brașov for Bran, Râșnov, Făgăraș and Sinaia; Sinaia/Bușteni for Peleș + Cantacuzino; Sibiu for Corvin (127.4 km / about 2 h each way, measured).
Questions
Which is the most beautiful castle?
Depends what you want: royal interiors — Peleș; a Gothic fortress — Corvin; Dracula — Bran; views and Wednesday — Cantacuzino; quiet and a low price — Făgăraș.
How many castles fit in one day from Brașov?
Two, comfortably: Bran + Râșnov (about 60 km of driving) or Peleș + Cantacuzino (about 93 km). Three in a day leaves under an hour for each.
Is Bran really Dracula's castle?
The tourist legend says yes, history says otherwise: Bran is a 1377 fortress and Queen Marie's former residence. Stoker never visited Romania; his castle resembles Bran from a contemporary English engraving.
Why is Râșnov closed?
Major restoration: the town hall announced 2024 as the reopening date, now passed. The Outer Garden (ticketed) and the panoramic platform stay open.
Do you need a booking at Peleș?
In practice yes: timed hourly slots, 2,000 visitors/day, non-refundable and non-reschedulable. Also check the autumn 2026 closures before you go.
What does a Bran + Râșnov day cost?
The regular adult reference fare at Bran is 100 RON, checked on 2 October; check the current price of your chosen ticket. Add the unpublished Râșnov garden fee and about 60 km of driving. Bran’s Halloween tickets are separate from 24 October to 1 November. On 31 October, the daytime New Moon ticket starts at 300 RON; the Bran card explains the conflicting last-entry times.
Do regular guided tours run at Bran during Halloween?
No. The event page says regular guided tours do not run from 24 October to 1 November. For New Moon on 31 October, it gives last entry as 17:00, while the ticket page says 19:00. Standard products are also listed, so check the ticket and time directly with Bran.
Sources
- Bran — tickets and prices
- Bran — visiting hours and private-event notice
- Bran — hours (visitor map)
- Bran — the fortress (history)
- Bran — the royal residence and Dracula
- Peleș — hours and fees
- Bran — Halloween 2026 tickets and prices
- Bran — Halloween 2026 event schedule
- Corvin — hours and fees
- Corvin — short history
- Râșnov — town attractions (Town Hall)
- Făgăraș — visit information
- Făgăraș — fortress history
- Cantacuzino — visiting and prices
Further
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