Trakai, a perfect Lithuanian getaway

By Anna Purpurpurpur

Trakai is a perfect day trip destination from Vilnius.

The main attraction of Trakai is the Island castle dating to the 14-15 centuries, while the old part of Trakai dates to the early 14th century and the rule of Gediminas.

It served as a residence of Grand Dukes of Lithuania and was a really important place for the country and even served as its capital back in Medieval times!

As you can see, to get there, you can walk two bridges hopping from island to island. It’s the only icastle in Eastern Europe that sits on an island!

Inside there are plenty of things to do as there is a museum split between multiple rooms with exhibits showcasing the history of the castle from Grand Duke Kęstutis and Grand Duke Vytautas till early 20th century.

You can spot the rebuilt ruins of the Peninsula castle: it was initially used for protection against Teutonic order and was heavily damaged in the 17th century during the war between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia and never rebuilt.

Karaim heritage

There’s more to see and do in Trakai if you have time. Trakai is the place where Karaim live – it’s a small and unique ethnic group which came here from Crimea in the 14th century.

The Main Street is named after Karaim, and you can learn about their culture and traditions here too (for instance, at S. Shapshal Karaite Ethnographic Museum). Also spot their traditional wooden houses along the main street! Read more here.

Make sure to try kibinai, a special Karaim dish you can try only here! It’s a pastry traditionally filled with mutton meat but now you can find all sorts of fillings in the restaurants here.

Boat cruise in Trakai

The lake cruise is a must in Trakai! During your cruise, you’ll glide along the picturesque lake surrounding the Island castle, pass other boats and spot some wildlife: we saw white egret, seagulls, great crested grebe, ducks and coots!

Besides that, you can see the Uzutrakis Manor Estate, or Uzutrakio Dvaro Sodyba: it’s a manor built in 1897-1902 for the famous Tyszkiewicz family and surrounded by a park.