5. Building His Castle Was A Nightmare For The Workers
When Vlad the Impaler came to power at the age of 25, he took to murdering and imprisoning the nobles of Wallachia who had supported Hungarian and Turkish interests. He forced the nobles that he didn't kill into slavery, and used them to fortify a castle on a high mountain peak, called Poenari. They worked until their clothes rotted off and Vlad left them to work naked. Its not know if many of the slaves survived, as they were promised their freedom if they finished the castle. Judging by Vlads standard operating procedure, they probably didnt make it far. Perched on a high mountain cliff, Poenari Castle became a primary fortification for Vlad. Due to its sheer size and its location it was difficult to conquer, until Mother Nature had her way. In 1888, a landslide destroyed part of the castle and it washed away into the nearby river, where legend says Vlad's first wife jumped to her death. Eventually the castle had minor repairs completed and visitors can still examine the fortress. In order to reach the summit visitors must climb 1,480 steps.
