These Are the Most Chill, Relaxing Photos of Transylvania

“We are in Transylvania, and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things. Nay, from what you have told me of your experiences already, you know something of what strange things there may be.”

These words from the titular Dracula to Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s vampiric novel sets the ominous tone for the foreign land of Transylvania. And in the 127 years since Dracula was published, the Count’s homeland has retained its reputation for being a spooky, grim place. Heck, even in Adam Sandler’s goofy kid’s franchise Hotel Transylvania, the country is depicted as the type of place you definitely do not want to end up in alone.

If you’re a horror aficionado, you may have Transylvania as one of your dream destinations, but if you do end up traveling to central Romania, you’ll probably be surprised to find that Transylvania isn’t the haunted playground many imagine it to be. In fact, it’s a pretty chill spot with a ton of serene sights that feel more like the idyllic setting for a Wes Anderson flick than the home of bloodsucking ghouls.