Dracula: The Real Horror Behind the Prince of Darkness

Before he was a vampire, he was a prince. In this solo episode we go back to 15th-century Wallachia to meet the real Vlad III, known as Vlad Țepeș or Vlad the Impaler. He was a ruler whose cruelty frightened even his enemies. We look at the history behind the legend, from his reign and his battles to the stories of impalement that made his name feared across Europe. Then we follow how his reputation passed down through the centuries until it reached Bram Stoker, and how it became Dracula, the most famous vampire of all time. Is the real man more frightening than the monster? Listen and decide for yourself.