Romania builds Dracula Land

Dracula Land could be built near Vlad the Impaler's castle

The Romanian Government has announced plans for a theme park in honour of the controversial figure of Count Dracula.

Tourism Minister Matei Dan told journalists the park - Dracula Land - would open in the summer of 2002, at an as yet undisclosed location, widely assumed to be in Transylvania.

Many thrillers portray the bloodcurdling life of the Romanian hero

Count Dracula is a Romanian national hero better known outside the country for the association with legends of bloodsucking vampires - as described by 19th century author Bram Stoker.

Mr Dan dismissed criticism that the park would harm Romania's image.

The plans

Announcing the project - expected to cost $60m - he said the park would be a tribute to "the image of a great Romanian hero".

He said the proposal included plans for a Dracula Institute, consisting of several conference rooms and a library.

Mr Dan said the institute would enable contact with about 4,000 Dracula clubs around the world, which would supply visitors to the park.

The minister refused to disclose the location of the new park, which is being built by an American company, in order "to avoid property speculation".

The legend

The myth of Dracula, launched by the 1897 novel of Irish author Bram Stoker, is based on the life of the prince of Vlad, Vlad-the-Impaler.

His escapades against the neighbouring Turks and Hungarians in the 15th century have given him the stature of a national hero in Romania.

The book immortalised and demonised Dracula

But to the outside world, he is better known for his appalling cruelty, for impaling his victims on wooden stakes.

The BBC central Europe correspondent, Nick Thorpe, says the novelist combined the already violent accounts of Dracula's life with legends of bloodsucking vampires from the same mountainous regions of eastern Europe.

This heritage worries many Romanian critics of the Dracula Land project.

"There are some voices in Romania who accuse me of selling a false legend," the tourism minister said.

"But I am a pragmatic man and these critics do not put me off.

"This is a fantastic project," he added.