Dominic of Habsburg Plans To Keep Castle Bran As Private Museum

Dominic of Habsburg arrived in Bucharest Wednesday, accompanied by his two sisters, Mary Magdalene Holzhausen and Elisabeth Sandhofer, and said he will meet with government officials and local authorities in Bran to discuss the takeover of the castle, which will occur in May. 

 

Dominic of Habsburg said he has received several offers to sell the castle since 2006, but the offers were "ridiculous" and came from unreliable bidders. Asked about the sums he was offered for the castle, Dominic of Habsburg said the offers were varied and, in the end. The castle is worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it, but he first and foremost considers the property his childhood home.

 

Dominic of Habsburg said he is considering keeping Castle Bran and administer it as a museum. He said he will spend as much time as he needs in Romania to accomplish that, but he is not considering of moving to Romania.

 

"I feel at home in Romania. I’ve lived in many places, but it would be hard for me to settle here now,” he said.

 

He added the property is in a special area, which needs to be preserved.

 

Dominic of Habsburg will be in Romania until February 2. on Thursday, he will meet with Romanian culture minister Theodor Paleologu on the takeover of the castle, which he will visit on the same day.

 

Castle Bran was returned on May 18, 2006 to Dominic of Habsburg and the Ministry of Culture keeps it as a museum until May 18, 2009.

 

Dominic of Habsburg, grandson of Queen Maria and son of Princess Ileana, regained the castle nearly six decades after the royal family was forced to leave the country by the communist regime, when Dominic of Habsburg was ten.

 

Castle Bran, attested since November 1377, is one of the major tourist objectives in Romania. The castle is famous worldwide for its association with Dracula.