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It’s been a long and tiring journey by horse-drawn cart along winding tracks through dense, dark Transylvanian forests. But now, high on the Borgo Pass, the imposing building before me seems to have a grim foreboding, lashed by wind and rain. I shiver as the door creaks open, and a tall man in a dark suit appears. “I’ve been expecting you,” he says, beckoning me inside.

I’m following in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker, mild-mannered solicitor in Bram Stoker’s legendary novel “Dracula”, and here, at the Hotel Castle Dracula, you might expect to get an insight into the story, and the vampires that many in Romania still believe to exist. But forget Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Klaus Kinski – this is far more kitsch. The hotel was built just over 20 years ago, and while it’s loosely modelled on the lines of an old Transylvanian castle, with a tower and courtyard, the Dracula vault complete with spooky opening coffin is the fangciful stuff of fairgrounds.

I have to confess to feeling a certain chill, but that’s down to the hotel having decided not to put the heating on in my room, and I struggle to come to terms with one of the locals downing a beer in the restaurant at breakfast time. Still, there’s no denying the place enjoys an unrivalled position 1,116 metres up on the Borgo Pass. The rolling mountain scenery is simply stunning – ideal for relaxing walks or horse riding, or skiing in the winter.

Before travelling to the Borgo Pass to be taken to Dracula’s castle, Jonathan Harker stayed at the Golden Krone Hotel in Bistrita. He arrived on the eve of St George’s Day, and was told “…when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway.” I was somehow expecting that St George’s Day might still hold some modern vampire significance, but it seems only inasmuch as it perpetuates the Dracula myth. But the Golden Krone features on the itinerary of anyone keen on following the Dracula theme in Transylvania, with a lunch stop recreating Harker’s meal of “robber steak and Golden Mediasch wine”.

There are plenty of people who seem to think that Dracula actually existed. Go to Bran, the medieval fairytale castle south of Brasov which provided Stoker with his inspiration for the evil Count’s lair, and the guides will tell you that hordes of visiting Goths describe feeling a chill descend upon them as they enter the first room. It seems possible that the 15th century ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the impaler, may have visited, but whether as a guest or prisoner depends on whom you talk to. Vlad’s father had been dubbed “Dracul” – devil – and he therefore became “Dracula” – son of the devil.

At the foot of the castle lies a modern kind of hell in the form of rows and rows of stalls selling tacky Dracula souvenirs – T-shirts, mugs, plastic pointy teeth. All good light-hearted fun in a “kiss-me-quick” kind of way. Or maybe that’s “bite-me-quick…”

It wasn’t just the name which provided the inspiration for the fictional Dracula. Vlad’s speciality was impaling his enemies on large stakes – a death slower and more painful than crucifixion. He was born in the fortress city of Sighisoara, and the actual building still exists – close to the imposing clock tower, and used now as a bar and restaurant. In fact, one of the upstairs rooms of the Casa Vlad Dracul has a genuine 15th century fresco depicting the man himself.

At one point, some bright spark had the idea of building a Dracula theme park just outside the city. It was abandoned amid howls of protest, but the result is that the beautiful UNESCO-listed city has preserved its unique character. It does tend to attract the coach parties, but I stayed in one of the hotels within the spectacular walled citadel, and seemed to have the place pretty much to myself for the evening and early morning.

Even though he never visited Romania himself, Stoker describes the roads in Transylvania as “rugged”, and that the tradition in the Carpathians was that they were not kept in good order. A hundred years on, and the roads are still pretty dire, although doubtless Romania’s impending EU membership will see funds allocated to make them a little less pot-holed.

But whether you follow the trail of the fictional vampire, or Vlad himself, the one thing which strikes home with the unerring certainty of a wooden stake through the heart is the scenic beauty of Transylvania – miles of rolling grasslands carpeted with brilliant wild flowers, snow-capped mountains, tumbling mountain rivers, a rich culture and history, and friendly people. And as the man himself might have said – once bitten, you’ll keep wanting more.

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