In the center of the Old Town of Bucharest stands the most ancient building of the city, the Old Princely Court, or Curtea Veche. This building is the real castle of Vlad the Impaler, known as Count Dracula, owing to Bram Stoker’s novel. This architectural ensemble is part of the palace of the former rulers of Romania. The first residence on this site was built in the 14th century by Vlad’s predecessor, Basarab the Old. The defensive structure occupied only 160 square meters and was almost destroyed during medieval battles. In the 15th century, the new ruler, Vlad the Impaler, restored the fortifications and expanded the fortress area to 700 square meters. It was then called “Dambovita.” In the middle of the 16th century, ruler Mircea Ciobanul built here the Curtea Veche Church, or the Annunciation Church of Saint Anthony. Today it is the oldest church in Bucharest, and centuries ago, all the rulers of Romania were crowned there. The history of the fortress that Vlad the Impaler restored during his reign ends in the second half of the 18th century.

Each new prince contributed to the fortress structures, and soon its territory was 2.5 hectares. The most significant changes in its look occurred during the reign of Constantin Brancoveanu. He added majestic columns and marble staircases and richly decorated the interior with paintings.

During the reign of Alexander Ypsilantis, a new palace was erected next to the Mihai Voda Monastery. And the Princely Court got a new name, the Old Princely Court. At the same time, the Manuc's Inn (Hanul-lui-Manuc) was built.

Over the next years, Curtea Veche stepped out of the limelight. The buildings were sold and later demolished for new structures. And only in the middle of the 20th century, thanks to archaeological excavations, it reappeared on the pages of history. Today, the Old Princely Court site is an open-air museum and is considered a national architectural monument of Romania. Not only the foundation has been preserved but also some courtyard buildings, which are open to the public. The courtyard consists of the old fortress, the Church of Saint Anthony, and the stone Manuc's Inn.