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I Investigated The Real Dracula

January 9, 2026 33:470 comments♥ 0
00:07 this way. >> Thank you. Well, allow me, if you will, to take you on a journey back in time to the 1400s when the people in this distant, quiet part of Europe lived in fear of constant attack and slaughter
00:30 by a malevolent enemy from the south. And let us understand better the man who is willing to die stopping that evil foe. As together we follow in the footsteps of a European hero, Vlad Tepesh. Or to us English speakers, Vlad the Impaler. Join me. And where the bloody hell am I?
00:59 Middle of nowhere in Romania. Let's do it. Well, it's a bitterly cold morning here in ancient Wakia. I've come to investigate a local legend called the Brotherhood. But ever since I got here, I've had a strange feeling I'm being watched. What
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03:38 downloading for a free copy of legendary nuker Cheshure Cat. And that isn't all. You will also get three of the best epic champions in the game. Ugo, Tagar and Mouselin Mage. Right, I'm out of here. Before we begin looking for the history of Vladep, I want to show you a place. Show you what exactly it was he was
04:04 fighting for. But I don't know where I'm meant to be heading. There's no bloody transport. My friend, Sakalo de Padore. Sakalo de Padur. >> Sakalo. Straight >> walking. >> Walking.
04:20 >> Walking possible. >> Uh smooth. >> Uh yeah. Small road. >> Uh not so good. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Place. Yes. BM. >> Kilome. >> Uh maybe 10 km. >> 10 km.
04:36 >> 10 kilome. Yes. >> Okay. Goam. Goam. Thank you my friend. Thank you. Okay. Now, you may have noticed if you know a little bit about languages that at the end of that conversation trying to find my way to a place we're going, I said Cosenum, which is
04:51 Hungarian. And that's because these villages of northern Transylvania was once Hungarian lands. And the people that live here are still maybe majority Hungarian. So, it's easier to get around here using Hungarian than it is Romanian. I mean, I know neither language, so it doesn't really make much
05:10 difference to me, but >> Hello. >> Hello. >> How much are your boots? How much? >> Okay. >> Okay. Very good. >> Okay. See you. [laughter] Thank you. Well, that was handy, wasn't it? A boot
05:30 seller by the side of the road. I've got myself some rubber boots because I think where we're going, a man said earlier, was pretty muddy. So, um, if there's no bus, we're going to have to walk it. It's about 10 km. Junaport out.
05:49 >> No, no, no. La this way. >> Thank you, my friend. and turn right. >> Ahari came. You don't know. Okay. No problem. Okay. Okay. Okay, thank you. Unport,
06:31 >> there are some characters in Transian villages, aren't there? >> Okay. Yep. >> All right. A long way. Thank you. Thank you, Cenum. >> Oh my god. I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew.
07:00 Sakala de Paduri. Who knew? Sakala de Paduri. A random village I've got to get to. Would be so difficult to find. Oh my god. What a place. Wow. You know what? This is Europe, but it's a different Europe. Look at it. Look how people live here. Oh,
07:24 we are in a a distant part of Europe from the one that I live in. >> Wow. The land of Tepeesh. Well, we're leaving the main road. Thank God. Almost been hit by a car about three or four times. So now we're heading to Sak
07:48 Carallu de Paduri on a small road here. Look through the countryside. And the one bloody thing every Romanian has told me since I got here is watch out for bears. They even have alerts on their phones here in this part of Transylvania to tell them if there's been a bear sighting even in the city. So um I'm
08:08 about to walk through flipping bear country. Oh, you legends. >> Vio, perfect. Thank you. Hello. >> Thank you very much. >> Do you speak English? >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. Good. Are there bears in this
08:38 part of Transylvania? You know bears? Uh rah bears. >> Ah, yes. Are they? >> They are here. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. >> Be careful. >> Yeah. Okay. I'll be careful. Thank you.
08:51 [snorts] >> Where are you from? >> I'm from England. >> Do you speak English? >> No. Okay. [snorts] >> Nice to meet you. Have a nice day. Bye-bye. Thank you very much. >> Bye-bye.
09:08 >> Goodbye. >> Bye-bye. Sukali pad. Perfecto. Thank you. Perfecto. Oh, just 3 kilometers. Oh, I tell you what, that lady in the car, if you ever watch this video, thank you because you saved me
09:34 4 km of walking. I thought the old bugger in the village said it's going to be muddy. It's a bloody normal road. What do I buy these shoes for? Absolute waste of flipping 60 whatever l the money is. How much is that? I have no idea how much that is. I
09:54 might just paid 100 quid for some boots surely. Absolute waste of money and they hurt. Stay where you are. Stay where you are. No need. Stay where you are. >> [laughter] >> Thank god he was a [ __ ] Oh, [clears throat]
10:12 or did I speak too soon? Stay where you are. As we enter finally after a bloody hour of walking, Sakalu de Padur. Let's check it out. Oh, hello Luna. See you. See you. Where is this place?
10:45 This uh this here. >> Okay. Straight and right. >> Okay. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Thank you. Uh coffee. Coffee. One. Uno. >> How are you, sir? Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you. And one drink my friend.
11:08 >> My friend. >> Yeah. Okay. One drink for my friend. Thank you. years. 98 years. >> 98. >> Good health. Strong. 98.
11:50 Bye-bye. I go. Bye-bye. Nice to meet you. Bye-bye. Thank you. Bye-bye. >> Wow. But that guy has probably been there since Chiaoescu times. And now I have the directions to the Baselica. Baselica.
12:18 No, no, no, no. Baselica. Thank you very much. Cing them. crossing them. Wow. So, this is live in a little European village, a little Transian village. The little old chap in the bar, the horse and cart. >> Uh, occupation.
12:44 >> Uh, occupation. Maga occupation. Okay. Okay. >> But, uh, now it's just Romanian. >> Just Romanian people. Yes. I see. Okay. Interesting. And all the villages here are Romanian people or some Hungarian, some Romanian, some Saxon, just Romanian. I see. I see. I see. And this
13:04 little shop and bar >> is very old. From Chaescu time, same time. Yeah. Okay. Co-op. >> Yeah. Okay. Wow. How interesting. >> See you. Hello. Thank you. Please. Hello. See you. >> Oh, okay. [laughter]
13:34 Okay, I see. Oh, wow. Oh yes. Fantastic. I look Thank you very Wow. Thank you. >> Thank you. Look at this. >> Oh, thank you. Look at this. >> Wow.
14:09 Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you. Look at it. We're inside the church. The people of the village wanted me to see inside when I told them what I was doing here. Look at it. Hundreds of years old. And the paintings here. Wow. Depicting different parts of the local history. The history probably of how Christianity
14:33 came to the region. The defeat of the Ottomans. Wow. Look at it up here in the ceiling. This is ancient Europe. Well, you might be wondering why have I started our journey in the footsteps of Vladepesh here in this random little village in
15:07 northern Transylvania? Why come to this ancient wooden church? Why did I stop and talk to those friendly people we met on our way? Why did I show you the villages, the landscapes? Well, because I wanted you to understand exactly what it was that Vlad Tesh was fighting for. He was fighting for this
15:26 peaceful European way of life. Most importantly, he was fighting for this. He was fighting for Christianity. And if it wasn't for Vladep, this might not exist. this way of life, this church, the people of this region, if Vlateesh
15:47 had not stood up to the Ottomans, might have ended up eventually like the Armenians or like the Jews of the Middle East. Where are they now? So before we begin our journey in the footsteps of Dracula, I wanted you to show you this to understand the
16:03 importance of what that man fought for and to thank him for what he did. Because otherwise life for me and for many of you watching might have been very very different. Cold. Very cold. Very cold, my friend. Ah, I'm crying. It's so cold. Good morning from the beautiful yellow
16:31 chowoescu benches of Peshi. Look at them. They're wonderful. In communist times, Peshi was home to the most notorious prison in the entire country. But today, for once, we're not talking about communist things. As lovely as the yellow communist benches
16:50 of Peshi are, no, we're beginning our search for the history of Vladep. I'm going to take you to three places associated with Vlad the Impaler. Let's begin today's journey. Check him out. Beautiful Peshi. I like it. Is this town called Peshi? I
17:13 might have screwed it up. I don't know. Everywhere begins with a P. There's Pleshi Peshi Pinar. I don't know where I am, but anyway, it's got Wherever I am, it's got some nice yellow benches. Let's go to the railway station. >> Chinchin, >> can you take Chinchin Zench?
17:37 I don't know what is chinch. >> It's okay. Thank you. Oh, >> straight on. >> Thank you very much. There we go. We've got ourselves cuz we're looking for Vladepesh a can of hell, which is like the Red Bull of Eastern Europe.
18:04 >> Yes. >> Yes. I've never had a hell before, but we're going to get some energy up because later on I'm going to be climbing. God, it's bright. I'm going to be climbing some steps as we look for old Vladepesh. So, um, we're going to need a hell energy drink.
18:24 What a nasty modern railway station. I was hoping for a Choescu era building. Is it morally wrong of me to not want progress in this part of the world? To want to see the old decrepit Buildings of the past. Is that reprehensible? Not to want people's lives to improve
18:47 for my own entertainment. >> Curt Arkesh Blet. >> Next train, please. Proxima. >> Super. Perfect. 10:00. >> One ticket. >> One. Oh, you speak English. Yes, please. One ticket. There we go. Look, we've got our ticket. We've paid about £120 and
19:10 we're going up there to Curta de Argesh. 10:00 platform 1. No way is this my train. To Curta Agnes. No way. Curt Agnes. Thank you. This is the coolest train I've ever been on. This must be a Chowescu train. What the hell? Legendary.
19:37 >> No way. Hell yeah. >> Nice train. >> Like Chiaoesu. Chowoescu train. >> Older than Chowoescu. >> Mikail. King Miko. >> Wow. Okay. Nice train. I said this is a Chowoescu
20:02 train. And she said, "No, it's older than Chao. is Mikail. I'm not sure who Mk was, but some old dude. Check it out. That's the great thing about Romania. You've still got some, despite the modern railway station, you've still got some old trains and you can feel like you've gone back in time a little bit
20:31 where we're passing through ancient Wakia. Wakia was the region that ruled and it's a name Wakia that conjures up to me at least images of missing forests and steaming voyards, mountaintops and castles and now the Chaescu Express. Incredible old railway stations in this
21:01 part of Romania and this part of Wakia. Check him out by Kleshi. Look at that. We are deep in Wakia now. Super. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Oh, wow. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you.
21:55 Wow. That was our train. Check it out. The Chaoescu Express. >> England. >> England. Yes. >> Um, nice. >> Yeah. >> And you? >> Uh, from
22:10 >> from was born in Buchar stay in um other uh town in um >> Okay. And why are you here today? Why? to visit friends or >> No, I'm going uh uh to a monastery. >> But now I go to Panari because I'm in interested in the history of Vladep.
22:35 >> Oh, okay. Yes. >> Is um Vladepesh popular in Romania? >> Um yes it is. But uh exist some u uh the story about him. Well uh it's not true. It was with the god, not with Dra. >> Yes, it's a different story. Dracula and
22:59 Vlatesh are different people. >> Yes, it was a good man. Very >> He was a good man. So Romanian people >> brave and >> and brave and he fought for Romania. >> Strong. >> Strong. >> Yes.
23:11 >> Well, I'm going to learn about him. Very nice to meet you. And um good luck at the monastery. Very nice to meet you. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Thank you. Well, >> there you go. We met um a lovely lady Barb Babushka who's going to a monastery and who said that Vladepesh is a great
23:29 man. You see, there's been some change in history. Some What's the word that we can say? Some re What is it when you change history? Forgotten what the bloody word is. Anyway, some What is it? Re Oh, think about it. There's been [ __ ] sake, it's annoying me. There's been They're trying to rehash history and say
23:49 that Vladepesh was a bad guy, but the Romanians don't think so. The Christians don't think so because Vladep was a defender of the Christian faith. Anyway, let's um look for a bus now to where we're going. Alara no.
24:11 >> Oh, no. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Oh, okay. Okay. Hello. I want to go to Panari Castle. Casia Panari. >> Panari. What time is the bus uh time? >> Dracula. >> Yes. Yes, exactly. Dracula.
24:37 >> 11:30 and Okay. 11:30. Perfect. Oh, yes. 10 minutes. Perfecto. One ticket, please. >> I go there. >> Yes. I stay here. Okay. Thank you. [laughter] Wow. I don't speak Romanian. Fortunately, some of them speak English,
24:54 but not that lady. But here we are in the Choescu bus station. Check out the Chowoescu benches. Let's have a sit for old time's sake on the Chowoescu benches. Think how many Romanians back in the day sat here. >> I've thought of the word I was trying to
25:12 think of earlier. Revisionism. People are trying to revision re-revision [ __ ] sake history and say that Vladep was a bad guy. But um that's not true. He was brutal, but he had to be brutal. Anyway, here we are waiting for the bus to his castle about half an hour north from here in the old Chowescu
25:34 bus station. Nothing's changed, not even the bin. >> And what do you reckon to old Romania so far? I would say some of the friendliest people in Europe and surprisingly many many people speak English even some babushkas.
25:58 >> Where you going to find a babushka that speaks English in Barus. Anyway, we're off. >> Bye-bye Jesuit bus station. Bye-bye. Well, here we are in the middle of Wakia. I've got to show you a place that is
26:35 very important to see if you want to understand the history of Vladep. Up on top of a mountain there somewhere. In the mid400s, the local boy, who were the rich land owners of Wakia, murdered [panting]
27:01 Vladesh's father and brother, Vladepesh, swore that one day he would have revenge on those dastardly boys. When Vlad ascended the throne of Wakia, he rounded up the boyars, their women, their children, and made
27:28 them haul stones and rocks up this mountain side to the very top where they were going to build him an impregnable fortress, Ponari Citadel. Well, we finally made it up to the citadel that now looks over the
28:01 highway down there somewhere. That is the playground of top G's and their Bugattis. But this is what we come to see. This the home of Vladepesh. And down here in the dungeon, we have a prisoner with a mustache and
28:27 oh, and a nice boob. A um a transsexual. Vlad was into transsexuals. Don't judge. I never knew this part of his history. Anyway, there we go. And here is Vlad. High five. Vlad in his castle. And why did he make the boy build this castle? Well, let's go upstairs onto the ramparts and I'll tell
28:51 you, Vlad, you were an absolute bloody perve. Well, it was here in this very spot that one of the most famous stories of the life of Latesh took place. When he finished building his castle, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire sent two emissaries to extract tribute from him
29:13 as they had always done of the Wakian rulers and also to find out exactly why he'd built this defensive structure. What was he up to? Those two emissaries climbed the mountain and came and presented themselves in front of Vlad. And Vlad said, "Please, if you want to speak to me, the ruler of Wakia, you
29:31 must remove your caps. This is the custom of our land. But those admissaries said, "Well, it's not the custom of our Ottoman Empire. We shall not remove our caps in front of you." So Vlad said, "Very well. If you want to wear your caps, I'll make sure they never fall off." And he summoned a guard
29:49 to bring him a hammer and two giant nails. He made those emissaries kneel in front of him and hammered the caps into their skulls and sent them back into Constantinople where they reported back to the Emir. Well, as you can imagine, the Emir was not best pleased and
30:10 gathered an army. It meant that very soon in Wakia there was going to be war. Well, to see where that battle between good and evil took place, we have to once again descend into the valleys to the town of Togavicha. We've arrived in the ancient capital of Wakia.
31:01 Let's have a look about. Oh, maybe not there. Well, check out orderly, pretty, tidy, and seemingly very safe. Tarovisha, why can't British towns be as orderly as flipping Romania? Makes no sense. Romania. I thought it was like the back quarters
31:27 of the flipping EU. And they've overtaken us. Anyway, what isn't orderly and tidy apparently is the hotel. We're checking into the Hotel Damita, which everyone told me is the worst hotel in town, which is exactly why I booked it. I want it to be as chaoesque as possible. Let's um let's go and check
31:49 in. >> So, down the pizza. >> This is the key. >> 216. >> Oh, yes. >> Use the lift. >> Yes. Well, why would they slag off the Hotel
32:06 Dambo Visa? Look at it. It's got a lovely lift and breaking the fourth wall by you seeing the camera. Anyway, let's go and check out the room. 216. Check out the Chowescu carpet. Oh, here we are. 216. Well, that's all right, isn't it?
32:32 A little bit modern, a little bit choescuish, and with a nice view. Oh, [laughter] even a flipping balcony. Are you having a laugh? Ah, for 30 quid a night overlooking beautiful Todd Govisha.
32:51 Absolute bloody bargain. Check it out. Woo. Right. Anyway, let's um dump the old bag and go out exploring. There's a lot of history in Togavisha and we're going to explore it together. Let's go. Europeans, what did you study in history class at
33:12 school? Me personally, I studied the frigin suffraette movement. UK and farming techniques of the bloody 1600s. Both a total waste of time. But here in Tardisha is something you should have studied because here took place one of the most important battles in European
33:33 history. Let's go and have a look around here. Download Ray to get Etsio for free and use my link to get a few additional champions for free.