Agaton se intoarce (sau noi sintem intotdeauna mai destepti decit ei)
/reuters, Adrian Dascalu/ - Scary jelly, blood pudding and brains will be on the menu if Romania goes ahead with a Dracula theme park, but critics are more afraid it could spoil the nearby medieval birthplace of "Vlad the Impaler."
Romania plans to build the park near the Transylvanian town of Sighisoara, birthplace of 15th century Romanian Count Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, who is thought to have inspired Irish author Bram Stoker's Gothic novel "Dracula."
The government said Monday it planned to go ahead with the $30 million Disney-style park despite widespread resistance.
U.N. cultural body UNESCO ( news - web sites) says the park -- expected to feature a horror castle, a "vampirology" institute and restaurants serving gory dishes -- would kill the medieval atmosphere of Sighisoara, which dates back to the 13th century.
A Tourism Ministry spokesman told Reuters Monday the location of the park depended on a study due out next month, rather than UNESCO's views.
"We respect UNESCO's stand ... but this is a government project and UNESCO cannot put constraints on it. If the experts think that Sighisoara is the right place, we will build it there, there is no doubt about it," he said.
Government promises of around 3,000 new jobs in the park have won over many locals, hit hard by unemployment. But some fear the provincial town's morals will be eroded.
"This place will be invaded by those who practice satanic rites and by drugs. I already saw satanic graffiti in our cemetery," local Lutheran priest Hans Frolich said.
"What could children see in such a park? People who sharpen their teeth and drink blood or some crazy guys clad in bed sheets and posing as ghosts? It's ridiculous," Frolich said.
Glossy Tourism Ministry brochures advertise workshops for sharpening teeth into fangs at the park, as well as mock torture chambers with stakes and knives.
"Building a Dracula park near Sighisoara would endanger the cultural value of the city," UNESCO Secretary-General Koichiro Matsuura said this month after visiting the town, which is listed as protected by the U.N body.
Critics also point out the park would be far from any big city or international airport, which could hinder its success.
