Dracula

A popular myth about Romania, the country where I am from, is that of Dracula. This myth originated in the Middle Ages, when Western European travelers reported the cruel, sadistic acts committed by Vlad the Impaler, a medieval leader notorious for the fact that he used to torture an impale his enemies. Bram Stoker, the author of the "Dracula" novel, based his main character on Vlad the Impaler, but the medieval figure's traits were distorted to the point where he would become a fierce, blood-sucking monster. The novel and the series of films based on it made Romania, and its region Transylvania (where Dracula is supposed to live), famous worldwide. Many people thought, and still think, that vampires actually exist in Transylvania, but the local authorities were far from being offended by this erroneous claim; instead, they developed a thriving tourism industry centered on the myth of Dracula, erecting a "Hotel Dracula", organizing special tour guides and creating various types of Dracula merchandise, from coffee mugs and T-shirts to life-size puppets.
Although this myth should put my country in a bad light, it actually helped boost the tourism and economy. Moreover, foreigners become more curious about Romania, and by visiting it, they get to learn about its real values. As for Romanians, they all know that they are not the descendants of vampires, but they enjoy the attention received from all over the world.