Vlad II Dracul

Cloaked in a black cape like the infamous count himself, 10-year-old Niklas Schuetz runs through the dark corridors of a hill-top castle in search of the truth about Dracula.

"He was a Romanian prince, not a vampire," said the schoolboy, as he tripped by torchlight through the nocturnal gloom of Forchtenstein Castle.

As the saying goes ‘One man’s hero is another man’s tyrant’. No matter what we believe about the validity or virtues of a political agenda, there is no doubt that some leaders did not hold back in brute force when trying to achieve their goals. Here is a brief list of the most ruthless leaders of all time. You could probably add many more.

The Anatolian dungeon where Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler, also known as Count Dracula, is said to have been held captive at the beginning of 1400s will soon be viewable online

The Anatolian dungeon where Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler, also known as Count Dracula, is said to have been held captive at the beginning of 1400s will soon be viewable online

Tokat Castle, where Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler, also known as Count Dracula, is said to have been held captive in the early 15th century, will be turned into a tea garden.

Restoration works in the Tokat Castle have discovered a secret tunnel leading to the Pervane Bath and a military shelter. Two dungeons have also been discovered in the castle, where Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler, who was also known as Dracula, is said to have been held captive in the early 15th century.

July 2 marks the commemoration of 510 years since the death of Moldovan ruler Stephen the Great (ruling between 1457-1504), one of the most important Romanian figures of the Middle Ages.

On June 20, 1992, he was sanctified by the Romanian Orthodox Church as Pious Voivode Stephen the Great and Holy.

The Dracula Medieval Festival that is taking place in Targoviste between June 13-16 has, beside the role of attracting tourists, the role to emphasize historic truth, says the Dambovita County Council Chairman Adrian Tutuianu.

Estonian researchers believe they may have finally discovered the whereabouts of “Dracula’s” grave, which is in Italy and not the Romanian Transylvanian Alps as first thought.