Just 28 kilometers west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, lies the small town of Trakai. The village, which only houses around 5,000 people, is located on a narrow strip of land surrounded by lakes, the largest of which is Lake Galvė. This lake is dotted with tiny islands, including the one that houses the Trakai Island Castle. The town is also known for being a melting pot of different cultures and communities, as it has been inhabited by Karaites, Lithuanians, Russians, Poles, Jews, and Tatars. The beautiful lakeside environment, the old traditional wooden houses, the unique culture of the town and its fairy-tale castle made Trakai a popular tourist destination and a must-see location in Lithuania.
Best times to visit Trakai and how to get there
Most tourists visit Trakai as a day trip from Vilnius, and reaching the village from the Lithuanian capital is really easy. Buses run hourly from Vilnius to Trakai for most of the day, and the bus station of the village is located just south of the old town. A bus trip lasts around 35 minutes. Another easy way to reach Trakai is by train. The train station in Trakai is located a bit further south than the bus station, but still pretty close to the old town. Trains from Vilnius run often, and a trip lasts around 30 minutes.
Trakai is located along the A16 highway that links Vilnius with Marijampolė, so driving to the village is also an option to easily reach the town. However, parking is limited in the village, so you’ll have to park outside the old town and then walk. If you are coming from Kaunas, you’ll need to change bus in Vilnius, or change train either in Vilnius or Lentvaris. Driving from Kaunas, you can take the A1 highway to Vilnius and take the dedicated exit located 17 kilometers north of Trakai.
The best time to visit Trakai is summer, when the temperatures are milder and all stores and restaurants are open. During winter, temperatures are often below zero, and the lake might freeze, creating an even more magical environment. However, many restaurants and attractions are closed during winter.
Position of Trakai in Lithuania (edited from a work by Tschubby, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).
History of Trakai
Trakai is an old village with a long and rich history that dates back to the Middle Ages. The town started to develop around the 13th century, especially after Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas decided to build a castle in this area, which is now known as the Senieji Trakai Castle (or Old Trakai Castle). This castle was later destroyed by the Teutonic Knights in 1391. A church and a monastery were built on the ruins of the castle, while the community moved to a new village near the lake.
Trakai lived its golden age in the 14th and 15th century, when it was the capital of the Duchy of Trakai, a subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Trakai Peninsula Castle and the Trakai Island Castle were built on the shores of the lakes surrounding the town in the second half of the 14th century, and the new village grew around these fortifications, a few kilometers north of the old one. While the capital of Lithuania remained in Vilnius, Grand Duke Vytautas, who reigned from 1392 to 1430, spent most of his time in Trakai, which became the de facto capital.
The Trakai Island Castle seen from above (BigHead, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).
After a military campaign against the Golden Horde, Vytautas resettled in Trakai a group of Karaites (also called Karaims), a small Jewish and Turkic-speaking minority originally living in Crimea. The Karaites thrived in Trakai, and this town became one of their most important cultural and religious centers. While their population has dwindled over the centuries, small groups of Karaites still live in Trakai today.
In 1413, Trakai became the capital of the newly established Trakai Voivodeship, an administrative division that included a large territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, the importance of Trakai started declining at the end of the 16th century, especially after Lithuania and Poland united to form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Vilnius became one the main political centers in the new country. During this time, the Trakai Island Castle was used as a luxurious prison for political prisoners.
The town was destroyed during the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, and the castles were demolished, remaining in ruins for centuries. With the partition of Poland, Trakai was annexed by the Russian Empire, and later became part of the Second Polish Republic after World War I. Trakai was severely hit by World War II, when thousands of Jews living in the town were killed by the Nazi German army. After the war, Trakai was annexed by the Soviet Union, and became part of Lithuania when the country restored its independence in 1990.
The Trakai Island Castle was restored and rebuilt starting in the early 20th century. Most of the works were completed in 1961, while the reconstruction finally ended in the 1990s, with the structure returning to its 15th-century appearance. Trakai is now a tourist destination that is growing more and more popular.
View of the lake surrounding Trakai.
What to see and do in Trakai
Trakai is small, so it is easy to just walk around, as everything can be reached on foot. The main attraction is the Trakai Island Castle (Trakų salos pilis), one of the most famous destinations in all of Lithuania. The castle is located on a small island in the lake just north of the old town, to which it is connected by a narrow footbridge. The structure is made of red bricks, and features an internal courtyard and various beautifully decorated halls hosting interesting exhibitions on local history.
Inside the Trakai Island Castle.
Many traditional small wooden houses dot the old town of Trakai, and among these buildings is the Trakai Kenesa, a small Karaite synagogue erected in the 18th century. Near the kenesa is the Karaite Ethnografic Museum (also known as S. Shapshal Museum of the Karaim Nation (S. Šapšalo karaimų tautos muziejaus ekspozicija)), an exhibition of local history focused on the Karaite community.
The ruins of the Trakai Peninsula Castle (Trakų pusiasalio pilis) are located along the shores of the lake in the eastern portion of the old town, and a small museum is nearby. Another interesting attraction is the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo bazilika), situated at the center of the old town. This 15th-century church was built in Gothic style and later reworked with Baroque decorations. The church is famous for hosting the Mother of God of Trakai (Trakų Dievo Motinos), a Roman Catholic icon painted in the 15th century. The small Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Švč. Dievo Motinos Gimimo cerkvė) was instead built in the 19th century and restored after World War I.
A few attractions are also located outside the old town, such as the Užutrakis Manor (Užutrakio dvaras), a 19th-century palace situated on the shores of Lake Galvė north of Trakai. The whole area around the town and the lakes forms the Trakai Historical National Park, the only historical national park in Europe.
Another view of one of the lakes surrounding Trakai.
Trakai also offers several activities such as boating, biking, and horse riding, but even just walking around the old town or along the shores of the lake is very pleasant. There are several restaurants in the town, serving Lithuanian and Karaite delicacies. It is definitely worth stopping in a Karaite restaurant to taste their most popular food, the delicious kibinai, a traditional pastry that can be filled with different types of meat.
Three kibinai with different types of meat, filled with chicken, beef, and lamb.