Romanian Minister for Tourism Matei Dan has announced that a Dracula Land theme park will be built near the medieval Transylvanian city of Sighisoara.
The privately-financed tourist attraction will celebrate the 15th century ruler Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler, the model for Bram Stoker's fictional anti-hero, Count Dracula.
Vlad Tepes was born in Sighisoara in 1431, and gained his bloodthirsty reputation from his habit of impaling Turkish prisoners alive on wooden stakes.
It is hoped that when the park is finished in 2003, it will attract one million visitors a year.
As well as being the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, Sighisoara's good transport links were a key factor in the choice of location for Dracula Land.
The northern Romanian city of Bistrita, which appears in Stoker's novel, had also been in the running.
German backing
Mr Dan said he expected German tourists to form the majority of foreign visitors to the park, which is expected to cost $32m.
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Two German firms, Westernstadt Pullman City and Siemens are expected to build and provide the park's infrastructure, with contracts due to be signed shortly.
Westernstadt Pullman City runs an American cowboy theme park in Bavaria.
Sighisoara has strong Germanic traditions, dating back to the 12th century, when German artisans settled in the area.
"Dracula's myth exists. We want to package it nicely and sell it to tourists," said Mr Dan.
He said there are also plans for a Dracula Institute, consisting of several conference rooms and a library.