A Potrait of Dracula in Austria's Vineyards

My trip to the Forchtenstein Castle

Front view of the Forchtenstein Castle with its prominent Black Tower. [All photos are taken and copyrighted by the author and are not to be used without permission.]

After my trip to Bulgaria in August 2017, I had a few days to spare before returning home. I planned to visit Vienna and Bratislava. However, my Austrian friend suggested I skip the crowded tourist destinations and accompany him on a getaway to his hometown in the Burgenland province, which borders Hungary.

I needed little convincing to avoid a busy city, but what sold me on this trip was the chance to visit the historic Forchtenstein Castle, owned by the House of Esterházy, an influential Hungarian noble family.

We drove from Vienna to Unterpetersdorf in Burgenland, roughly an hour and a half away from the Austrian capital. My friend’s family rents out a small plot of land to winemakers. The region is well-known for its Blaufränkisch (blue Frankish) grapes, which are used to make red wine. After making a quick pit-stop at …