What is Dracula Land? Size, themed zones, attractions and opening date

Dracula Land (also written DraculaLand) is the largest entertainment project ever announced in Romania: a complex of about 160 hectares in the commune of Gherghita, Prahova county, next to the A3 motorway, with a theme park inspired by the Dracula legend, an arena, an aqua park, hotels, an outlet and a racing circuit. The project was officially presented on 3 December 2025, and the announced investment exceeds 1 billion euros.

Below we have gathered, from the press and from the materials presented by the developers, all the public figures about the project, with links to the sources. Keep one important thing in mind: this is a project in development, not an open park. The images in this article are official renderings, that is, presentation images made by the developers, not photographs.

Cazare Dracula Land is an independent website with no official connection to Dracula Land or its developers.

The announced figures at a glance

• Total area: about 160 hectares, roughly 1,600,000 sq m
• The theme park: over 780,000 sq m (about 78 hectares), with 6 themed zones and more than 40 major attractions
• Multipurpose arena: about 80,000 sq m built and 22,500 seats
• Aqua Park & Thermal Spa: about 50,000 sq m built, over 30 water attractions and one of the largest wave pools in Europe
• Fashion & Home-Deco Outlet: about 9,000 sq m of shops and 3,000 sq m of restaurants, with over 70 brands
• Racing circuit: about 4.5 km, with paddock, garages and VIP areas
• Hotels: three themed hotels with over 1,200 rooms in total
• Business and technology hub: about 15,000 sq m, with over 1,000 workstations
• Investment: over 1 billion euros, from private funds
• Developers' estimates: over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, about 3 million visitors a year in the first phase and an economic impact of around 5 billion euros over ten years

The 6 themed zones

The park itself is divided into six themed "worlds". According to the presentation reported by the American publication Attractions Magazine, they are:

• Moonlit District: the entrance area, a plaza inspired by the old architecture of Bucharest
• Family Kingdom: the family area, with attractions built around supernatural creatures
• Transylvania: an immersive experience that takes you through the Dracula story, in Transylvanian landscapes
• Dracula's Castle: the centrepiece of the park, a castle with a roller coaster and a museum inside
• Port of New Orleans: a zone inspired by the port of New Orleans (details have not yet been presented)
• London Town: a zone inspired by London, the city where part of Bram Stoker's novel takes place

Which attractions have been announced

Of the more than 40 attractions, a few have been presented by name:

• Flight of the Bat Wing and Werewolf Run, two roller coasters
• Going Batty, an interactive dark ride, a ride in cars through dark sets
• a flying theater, a cinema whose seats move to give the sensation of flight
• a drone show in the sky above the park
• a parkour and obstacle course
• an exhibition dedicated to Hollywood film vampires

The park concept is by Creative Studio Berlin, a German theme park design studio, and part of the project has, according to the press, been led by a former creative director of Europa-Park.

Arena, aqua park, outlet and circuit

Dracula Land is not just an amusement park. The rest of the 160 hectares is designed as a complete destination:

• The 22,500-seat arena would host concerts, festivals, esports competitions and international events.
• The Aqua Park & Thermal Spa, of around 50,000 sq m, would have over 30 water attractions and a thermal-water relaxation area.
• The luxury outlet, with over 70 brands, was conceived together with the architecture firm Piuarch Milano and The Mall Firenze team.
• The Racing Track & Motor Park would have a circuit of about 4.5 km.
• The project also includes a digital component: a virtual copy of the complex, built in Unreal Engine 5, with its own currency, DraculaCoin.

The hotels

For those coming for several days, three themed hotels have been announced, with over 1,200 rooms and conference rooms:

• Dracula Grand Hotel, 4 stars
• Dracula Family Hotel, 3 stars
• Dracula Inn, 3 stars

Who is behind the project

The founders are real estate developer Dragos Dobrescu, who bought the land in Gherghita from 2017 onwards, and businessman George Toader. According to the press, architecture, engineering, consulting and law firms from Romania, Italy and Germany are working on the project, including Piuarch Milano, Creative Studio Berlin, Deloitte and Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii.

Project status: when does it open?

It is worth being very clear here. In December 2025 the mayor of Gherghita, Mihai Nichita, explained to Observatorul Prahovean that the land must first be rezoned from agricultural to buildable land through a Zonal Urban Plan (PUZ). The mayor expected the PUZ to be approved around mid-2026 and construction to start, most likely, in September 2026. After the PUZ come the urban planning certificate and the building permit.

By early September 2026 there had been no official public confirmation of the final PUZ approval. The year 2027, mentioned in several articles as the opening date, is therefore the developers' target, not a confirmed date. Tickets are not on sale; beware of any website claiming to sell tickets "in advance". We follow the news and will update this article when official information appears.

Gherghita, the place chosen for the park

Gherghita is no ordinary village. The settlement is documented from 1431, and on 2 August 1453 Voivode Vladislav II issued a chancellery act here. In the Middle Ages it was an important market town at the confluence of the Teleajen and Prahova rivers, and around 1602 Radu Serban built a wooden fortification here, destroyed by the Tatars a few years later.

Two historic-monument churches remain from that period: the Princely Church of St Procopius, founded by Matei Basarab in 1641, rebuilt in 1895, and the Stone Church of St Demetrius, dated 1705 and rebuilt in 1802 and 1888.

Today the commune has about 1,900 inhabitants and includes the villages of Gherghita, Independenta, Malamuc and Ungureni.

The legend behind the name

The character Dracula was created by the Irish writer Bram Stoker, in the novel published in London in 1897. The name was inspired by Vlad the Impaler, ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, also known as Draculea, meaning the son of Vlad Dracul. There are big differences between the fictional character and the historical ruler, but the legend has become one of the best-known stories in the world, and the park in Gherghita is built around it.

Where it is and how to get there

Gherghita lies in the south-east of Prahova county, next to the A3 motorway (Bucharest – Ploiesti). Approximate road distances from the centre of the commune:

• Bucharest: about 47 km, under an hour, via the A3 and DJ100B
• Henri Coanda Airport (Otopeni): about 43 km
• Ploiesti: about 41 km
• Brasov: about 144 km, via the Prahova Valley

You will find transport details on the logistics and transport page.

What to visit in the area before the opening

Until the park opens, the Gherghita area is a good base for day trips: Therme Bucharest 40 km away, the Slanic Salt Mine 78 km away, Peles and Pelisor Castles 100 km away, Cantacuzino Castle 106 km away and Bran Castle, "Dracula's Castle", 146 km away. All the attractions are gathered on the experiences in Prahova page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dracula Land the same as Bran Castle?
No. Bran Castle is a medieval fortress in Brasov county, known as "Dracula's Castle". Dracula Land is the theme park project in Gherghita, Prahova, about 146 km from Bran.

How big will Dracula Land be?
The whole complex covers about 160 hectares, and the theme park itself over 780,000 sq m, or about 78 hectares.

When does the park open?
The developers have talked about 2027, but that date depends on approvals and the building permit. There is no official opening date yet.

Where can I find information about tickets?
Only on the project's official channels, at draculaland.com. No tickets are on sale at the moment.

Sources

• Observatorul Prahovean – Dracula Land in Prahova, at Gherghita. When construction will start (5 December 2025, in Romanian)
• Agenda Constructiilor – DraculaLand, an investment of over 1 billion euros (5 December 2025, in Romanian)
• Antena 3 – What the DraculaLand project looks like (5 December 2025, in Romanian)
• Attractions Magazine – New theme park Dracula Land in planning (10 December 2025)
• Wikipedia – Gherghita commune, Prahova (in Romanian)
• Dracula Land – the project's official website, source of the renderings in this article

Where to stay near Dracula Land

Our platform brings together guesthouses, villas and cabins in and around Gherghita. Every listing is checked before it is published, and booking requests go straight to the host, with no commission. See the available accommodation or, if you own a property in the area, list it for free.