A 780,000 m² theme park, three hotels, a racing circuit and a 22,500-seat arena: near Bucharest, Dracula Land is taking shape on paper, but the €1 billion project has not yet been confirmed.
Next to Bucharest, Dracula Land specifies the contours of its future leisure, commerce and technology complex. On 164 hectares, the project led by entrepreneur Dragos Dobrescu provides in particular for a 780,000 m theme park2an arena with 22,500 seats, three hotels totaling 1,200 rooms, a racing circuit… and a technology center (just that)!
The investment in its first major phase could exceed one billion euros, with exclusively private financing. THE master plan is now finalized, while negotiations with future operators and financial partners continue.
Six universe, 40 attractions : Dracula land sees (very) big
After nearly a year of technical, financial and operational development, the teams in charge of the Dracula Land project announce that they have completed the master plan and advanced on several structuring subjects:
– engineering solutions for road access and networks;
– The choice of operators of the different attractions;
– And the international financial arrangement.
THE selected site covers 164 hectares near Gherghita, in Prahova Countyabout twenty minutes from Bucharest and about 15 minutes from Henri Coanda international airport. It benefits from direct access to the A3 motorway and connections with the A0 and A7 axes, the road infrastructure and networks having been studied to allow implementation in phases, without calling into question the overall coherence of the program.
The program will bring together several complementary activities, with the aim of making the destination work throughout the year. The Dracula Land park alone will occupy more than 780,000 m2. It will be organized into six immersive zones and will have more than 40 major attractions. To this offer will be added a multifunctional arena of approximately 80,000 m2 with 22,500 seats to host concerts, festivals, esports competitions and international events. © Dracula Land
As for the commercial aspect, it will take the form of an outlet dedicated to fashion as well as high-end decoration. Developed with the Milanese firm Piuarch and the team from The Mall Firenze, it will bring together approximately 9,000 m2 of commercial space, to which will be added 3,000 m2 dedicated to catering. More of 70 brands are now And Already announced.
Three hotels, a water park and a racing circuit
In terms of accommodation, three establishments are planned: the Dracula Grand Hotelclassified four stars, the Dracula Family Hotelannounced in the superior three-star category, and the Dracula Innthree stars. In total, they will represent 1,200 rooms, with conference spaces and equipment intended for tourist and professional customers.
The complex will also include an Aqua Park & Thermal Spa of approximately 50,000 m2which will have more than 30 aquatic attractions, as well as a wave pool presented by the promoters as one of the largest in Europe.
The project does not stop at leisure and hotels. A Racing Track & Motor Park must include a motor circuit of approximately 4.5 km, supplemented by a paddock, garages, VIP areas and dedicated media facilities.
Finally, a Business Accelerator & Tech Hub of around 15,000 m22 is intended to accommodate more than 1,000 workstations for start-up specializing in video games, artificial intelligence and digital creative industries. This technological component must notably extend the experience of the park into the digital universe, with the development of a virtual ecosystem associated with the destination.
“A national project” for entrepreneur Dragos Dobrescu
For Dragos Dobrescufounder of Dracula Land, the project must also carry a symbolic ambition for Romania : he intends to transform a world-famous figure of Romanian cultural heritage into a tourist and economic destination of international stature. “Dracula Land brings together everything I learned in real estate: discipline, rigor, vision and the ability to maintain complex teams with very different specializations. But more importantly, it adds a story that gives meaning to every square meter built. For me, Dracula Land is a national project – a symbol that Romania can and must build monuments, not just buildings or simple real estate projects.” explained the Romanian entrepreneur in a press release.
The use of international partners must accompany this giga-project. The concept and masterplan involved specialists in architecture, engineering, finance and innovation, including Creative Studio Berlin, TDAC, Piuarch, The Mall Firenze Team, RB+P, Optim Engineers, Zabten Consulting and Codezilla.
IAAPA. © Dracula Land
More than a billion euros announced for the first major phase
Dracula Land claims an exclusively private financing model, without recourse to public funds or European funding. Knowing that the potential amount of the first major phase could exceed one billion euros, investments would be made gradually, depending on the maturity of the different components of the program.
A structure holding registered in Qatar must facilitate international co-investments such as strategic partnerships. The project is organized around several activities, each with their own operating model and sources of income: ticketing, events, hotels, commerce, catering and digital services. According to the project leaders, discussions with the operators of the various activities have reached an advanced stage, and detailed negotiations are also underway with partners likely to provide both capital and their operational expertise. However, no final agreement with the main operators has been announced at this stage.
The schedule presented on the official website provides for entry into the construction phase from 2027, with gradual deployment. But the precise dates have yet to be announced… © Dracula Land
