(LonelyPlanet.com) -- Vampires and their stories seem to be enjoying an eternal renaissance in contemporary fiction and film.





Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" kicked off the modern raft of tales, and the popularity of more recent book and movie offerings like "Twilight" and "True Blood" shows that folks are, well, batty for vampire tales.





So where can you go to learn more about these creatures of the night? Discover the top destinations with this excerpt from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel.





Bran Castle, Romania





There's nothing better than going to the source, and in the case of vampire lore that's Vlad Ţepeş, legendary ruler of Wallachia, now part of Romania. Ţepeş became the scourge of the Ottoman empire and was fond of impaling entire Turkish forces sent against him. His bloodthirsty reputation inspired Irish author Bram Stoker to use him as the model for "Dracula," and thus a legend was born. Bran Castle, one of his strongholds, now houses a museum dedicated to Queen Marie of Romania. It has an impressive clifftop profile, looking like the quintessential location for a vampire movie.





Vampire Bats, Costa Rica





The vampire bat has become inseparable from the legend of the vampire. Apparently inspired by a newspaper article about these inhabitants of South and Central America, Bram Stoker wove their blood-sucking habits into his novel and the rest is history (or at least, folklore). These small bats do feed on animals' blood but rarely suck on humans, though there have been reported attacks in recent years in Brazil and Venezuela. One of the best places to see them in the wild is Costa Rica, especially within Santa Rosa National Park and Corcovado National Park.





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Musée Des Vampires, France





Hidden away in the Les Lilas district of Paris is an enigmatic museum devoted to the vampire. Visits can only be made by appointment, but once through the forbidding red door, the visitor is treated to an eclectic collection of books, photographs, weapons, masks, models, costumes and other curios referencing the vampire legend. There's also a creepy Gothic garden out the back. The Musée des Vampires.





Forks, Washington





When author Stephanie Meyer set her vampire novel "Twilight" in the small town of Forks, Washington, she had little idea of the wave of vampire tourism she was setting in motion. When "Twilight" went ballistic on the bookshelves, ardent fans headed for Forks, neatly arresting the slow economic decline caused by its traditional mainstay, the timber industry, losing momentum. Now vampire fans can buy undead memorabilia, go on tours to locations that resemble Edward and Bella's literary hangouts, and celebrate Bella's birthday on 13 September. Dazzled by Twilight offers three Twilight-themed tours of Forks and La Push.





Vampire Tour of San Francisco





Anyone who's read Bram Stoker's Dracula will remember Mina Harker, whom Dracula attacked with the intent of transforming her into a vampire. Given that this curse was apparently lifted once he was destroyed, you might be surprised to find Mina Harker wafting about in 21st-century San Francisco, and sporting an American accent. But every weekend you can join Mina for a vampire tour of the city's historic Nob Hill. It covers documented San Francisco history as well as speculative supernatural events, and attendees are encouraged to dress spookily. The Vampire Tour of San Francisco commences at 8 p.m. each Friday and Saturday.





Dracula Tour of London, UK





Given the British capital's starring role in the original Dracula novel, it makes sense that there should be a vampire tour of its darker nooks and crannies. This supernatural outing takes in a house in Highgate where the vampiric one apparently lived during his London sojourn. It also takes in the ghosts of Highgate Cemetery, the satanists of Highgate Woods, and other dark denizens. Curiously, the whole thing is then followed with a medieval banquet. Blood, presumably, is not on the menu. The Dracula Tour of London, run by Transylvania Live, takes place nightly except Mondays.





Pontianak, Indonesia





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