220K views · 2.7K reactions | Bram Stoker’s vampire Count Dracula is perhaps one of fiction’s most famous monsters—but even his brutality doesn’t compare to his historical inspiration. Vlad the Impaler was a Transylvanian prince with a bloodthirsty reputation, but as National Geographic Photographer and Explorer Paolo Verzone follows in his footsteps, what can the real Dracula tell us about Romania today? | National Geographic | Facebook

The ruthless Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula, ruled 15th-century Romania with an iron fist. Confronted by the mighty Ottoman Empire, he audaciously impaled 23,000 captured enemies, creating a grotesque battlefield that struck terror into his foes and secured victory. Some hail Vlad as a hero, while his brutal tactics inspired Bram Stoker's legendary vampire. Born in 1431 in Transylvania, Vlad endured a tumultuous childhood. He and his younger brother Radu were held hostage by the Ottoman