Trakai
Lithuania · Vilnius · 160 m
Description
Trakai is a lake town half an hour west of Vilnius built on a strip of land between several lakes, and its castle stands on an island in one of them, reached by a wooden footbridge. Red brick with round corner towers and a keep behind a moat, it was the seat of the grand dukes and was rebuilt from ruins in the twentieth century. The Karaim, a Turkic community brought here from Crimea in the fourteenth century as a ducal guard, still keep a prayer house, a language and a kitchen of their own in the town.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Trakai Island Castle
- Lake Galvė and the wooden footbridge
- Karaim community, kenesa and kibinai
- Castle museum in the keep
- Boat and pedal boat on the lakes
- Peninsula castle ruins
- Užutrakis manor and its park
- Skating on the frozen lake (January - February)
- Aukštadvaris regional park lakes
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Trakai