Vampires around the world
Vampires around the world, Famous vampire locales Hidden behind closed doors, vampire enthusiasts used to have to turn the aged pages of a Bram Stoker novel for the steamy secrets of this Gothic, fanged, blood-drinking bunch. Now, thanks to the popularity of books such as “Twilight” and a slew of TV shows such as “True Blood” and “The Vampire Diaries,” vampire fanaticism is not only socially acceptable, it’s downright cool. It doesn’t matter whether you’re chasing love or lore—find your favorite specter at one of these hot-spots for vampire hunting.
One of the more recent examples of vampires making newspaper headlines comes from India, where villagers around Dharmapuri believe vicious vamps locally known as ratha kaatteri were killing and draining their cattle last April. Suspicious Indian politicians put a bounty of over 100,000 Indian Rupees (convert it to US dollars) on the monsters’ capture to prove the stories were a hoax; no bodies were produced, but that doesn’t make the creepy tales (like that of the vetalas, another blood-sucking spirit of Hindu mythology) any less real.
The love story of every-girl Bella Swan and dreamy, sparkly, vampy hunk Edward Cullen was pure fiction, but the setting of their romance is very real. Pre-“Twilight,” tiny Forks in western Washington was known mostly for its impressive annual rainfall; now, there’s a frenzy of themed tours, gift shops and lodging such as the Miller Tree Inn, which has been designated by the chamber of commerce as the Cullens’ house. Psst, you guys: It’s not real.
Baby boomers had Woodstock, hipsters haveCoachella, and fans of so-called “dark music” have Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany . The multi-day music event is the world’s largest Goth festival and has been welcoming some 20,000 steampunks , metalheads, Goths and all manner of dark-arts aficionados annually for more than 20 years . Where there’s a Goth, there’s a vampire fixation, so put in your fangs — it’s all about the costumes here — and make some new friends.
“Vamps at Sea” has a “Disney-on-Ice” ring to it, and thisvampire-themed cruise is similarly campy. But for fans of the genre, there’s not another opportunity to exploreAlaska’s incomparable beauty ampire films, dressing up in costume and talking about your love of the undead with like-minded folks. The 2012 cruise took place last summer, so book now for 2013.
Dracula is the man who launched a thousand horror stories, blood-sucking impersonations,bad Halloween costumes and a popular arithmetic-lovingMuppet. Bram Stoker’s creature of the night is especially relevant in London, given the city’s prominent role in “Dracula,” so it’s only suitable that there’s a walking tour available in the England capital to take you through Dracula’s house , Highgate Woods and more. Make a special trip to Golders Green Crematorium ,where Stoker is buried .
Before there was Bella and Sookie, there was Buffy Summers. Hit 1990s TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”has retained its cult status, and if you find yourself in Los Angeles, you can take a tour of some of the prominent filming locations: theAngelus-Rosedale Cemetery , Torrance High School , the UCLA campus and particularly Ennis House, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house that was used as soulful vampire Angel’s mansion. Time your visit with L.A.’s annual vampire film fest for the full experience.
Thank goodness that Bon Temps, the seedy, swampy setting of hit HBO show “True Blood” , is not anywhere you’ll actually find on a map. If you’re looking for a real-life Louisiana destination, head instead to New Orleans and book a vampire tour with Lord Chaz , the theatrical character behind the French Quarter tourist attraction. The nightly tour takes guests through the city’s macabre past — with plenty of vampire fact and fiction — and is top-rated on TripAdvisor.
The City of Light is an obvious choice for the undead — so many warm-blooded bodies! While the city certainly is steeped in the same vampire legend as much of Europe, its most spectacular site for vampire hunters is the Musée des Vampires, a small private museum on the outskirts of Paris that houses a collection of books, paintings and strange artifacts that track vampire fiction and history. The curator speaks English, but you’ll need an appointment to visit.
Though Asian folklore features many spooky, supernatural creatures some of these beings bear a resemblance to the western vampire, like the pontianak of Malay and Indonesian mythology. These spirits of women who died while pregnant disembowel their victims with razor-sharp nails and then feed on the organs. Feeling brave? Visit the Indonesian city named after these evil spirits.
A thousand years ago, Bohemian villages were rampant with vampire lore; whether these stories were fact or fiction depends on whom you ask. But the truth remains that many people believed blood-sucking vamps were a real threat . The largest vampire cemetery was unearthed in Čelákovice, located just outside Prague, in the 1960s. Fourteen victims buried there showed markers of anti-vampire measures: decapitated skeletons with nails in their skulls. A far cry from “Twilight,” don’t you think?
Acclaimed novelist Anne Rice can be credited with romanticizing vampires for a new generation when her 1976 book “Interview with the Vampire” was turned into a sexy big-screen flick (Brad Pitt co-starred, with whom? in 1994 . Rice wrote the novel while living in the Bay Area and grieving the death of her infant daughter . Stroll downHaight Street and gain some insight into Rice’s inspiration.
The Japanese love their thematic cafes — you can dine with your favorite anime characters, a ninja, a kitten and Jesus himself, to name just a few experiences. But fans of fangs will love the Vampire Café in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district . Instead of the expected campy Halloween décor, the café’s blood red interiors and candlelit, Gothic atmosphere border on romantic (as long as you disregard the coffins). In typical Japanese fashion, the food is reportedly very pretty, too .
Transylvania, Romania
Depicted in storybooks and cartoons as the home base for the supernatural, Transylvania is perhaps the most stereotypical destination for searching out vampires. It’s not all fiction here, though, as you’ll find if you breeze through Romania’s gruesome history: Dracula was based on Vlad the Impaler, the sadistic 15th century prince of Wallachia who is said to have eaten the flesh and drank the blood of his enemies. It’s arguable that Dracula was a nicer guy.