The exterior shots of Castle Dracula were filmed at Orava Castle, which is situated on a high rock above Orava river in the village of Oravský Podzámok, Slovakia. This is the same castle that appeared in the silent horror classic Nosferatu le vampire (1922).
The design of Dracula evolves over the course of the three chapters, each of which pay homage to a previous incarnation of the iconic vampire; the initial, decaying state of the elderly Count Dracula resembles Gary Oldman's rendition in Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (1992). Dracula's long coat and cape with a wide resting tunic is directly inspired by Sir Christopher Lee's costume in his debut film Le Cauchemar de Dracula (1958). And Dracula's dinner attire aboard the Demeter is of the classic Bela Lugosi design, complete with a red amulet.
To prepare for the role, Claes Bang watched as many Dracula interpretations as he could. He was particularly impressed with Klaus Kinski's portrayal of the vampire in Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, fantôme de la nuit (1979).
Doctor Who Easter Egg: Mina's letter to Jonathan mentions an "'adorable barmaid from The Rose and Crown". Clara Oswin Oswald worked at The Rose and Crown in Doctor Who's The Snowmen which set in the Victorian Era and written by Steven Moffat.
The undead child in The Dark Compass utters the words "titte-bøh" - the Danish words for peekaboo. Claes Bang is Danish.