Apr 2, 2025

Dracula statue Budapest

Hidden place

"The "Dracula statue" in a less-frequented part of Vajdahunyad Castle is of Hungarian actor Béla Lugosi, the first ever Dracula. It used to be a mystery..."

The best-known part of the castle in the city park is based on Hunedoara (Vajdahunyad) Castle in Transylvania. It got its present, popular name from its visitors. But there's more to it than that!

At the back of the building complex, there's still a creepy atmosphere in the evenings. Despite the creepiness, I really like going to this calm, less-visited part of this crowded (by tourists) place.

The original castle of Vajdahunyad is located in Transylvania (the home of Dracula). At some point, though, the statue of Béla Lugosi, the actor with Hungarian origins, just suddenly appeared at this spot.

Whether he is the world's favourite Dracula or not, Lugosi is the iconic image that pops into everybody’s head when anybody mentions Dracula. Mostly because he was the first official Dracula in the first Dracula film ever made.

The story of the statue is quite mysterious - for a long time nobody knew when and how it got there.

However, in 2016, and quite unexpectedly, it was revealed that it was the creation of a German artist, Hartmuth Zech, who brought this artifact to what used to be an empty place.

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Art & culture

About this spot

Vajdahunyad vára

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