August 8, 1999 Hello!
I've just returned to the United States after a recent trip to Romania which included Castles Bran and Poinari. According to the Lonely Planet Guide, there is a secret labyrinth of passages concealed by the Fountain in the courtyard. Being the adventurous type, (and a bit of an overgrown kid I admit:-) I carefully tapped and pressed against various stones around the fountain but to no avail. Then, looking through a crack into a side chamber, I saw what seemed to be some type of old lift apparatus. My Romanian friend questioned a woman who worked there at the Castle. She denied the existence of the labyrinth until we told her of the lift machine. Then she admitted that in fact there had been a well shaft descending some 50+ meters into the mountain and at some point, there was a tunnel which branched off from the shaft. One tunnel exited into the park across from one of the hostels. Well, my friend and I went there only to find the tunnel blockaded, obviously to deter intruders. Now, and I must admit a little mischief here, though I can assure you we neither harmed anyone, nor stole or damaged anything. We left everything as we had found it. But me, being incredibly curious, and my friend who is very daring, secretly entered the tunnel under cover of darkness to find out what was there. Well, it was a dissappointment. The tunnel goes back into the side of the mountain and ends at the bottom of the shaft. Apparently it was designed to house an elevator during Queen Marie's time. However, the elevator was not at the bottom and the controls weren't operational. I believe there must be a hidden level which is only accessible via the elevator shaft or perhaps a second entrance. I believe there must be another entrance further away from the castle since an escape tunnel so close would be useless during a siege. In any case, I have no proof to validate my theory, only a hunch. I would be very grateful if you would inform me anything you might know about this. Also, if you like, I could email you the photos we made though they're not too interesting.
Regards,
Brad