Bistrita-Nasaud County
Saxon citadel where Romania's highest medieval stone tower overlooks the Bargau Pass that Bram Stoker made immortal in Dracula.
Bistrita-Nasaud County exists because Transylvanian Saxons needed a northern frontier and Bram Stoker needed a setting. Saxons settled in 1206, calling the region Nosnerland, and built Bistrita into one of the Seven Citadels of Transylvania. By 1330 it was a free royal town; by 1465, 18 defensive towers protected the fortified church whose 246-foot steeple remains Romania's highest medieval stone tower. King Louis I granted a 15-day fair on Saint Bartholomew day in 1353. The Bargau Mountains (part of the northern Carpathian ridge) provide the dramatic setting that Stoker described in Dracula's opening chapters - the Tihuta Pass journey draws literary tourists today. Two national parks (Calimani and Rodna Mountains) protect the forested Eastern Carpathians. Traditional Saxon-style furniture painting, pottery, and leather crafts persist among master artisans. A vineyard circuit with nine wine cellars is developing in the center-south. Colibita village (600 residents, 24 accommodation facilities) exemplifies tourism's economic potential - it was a spa resort from 1923-1975. The Cooper's Tower is the sole survivor of 18 medieval bastions. By 2026, Dracula tourism and mountain recreation will drive development while traditional crafts provide cultural continuity.