Trakai Castle

Trakai Island Castle

Trakai Castle is a castle on an island, the only island castle in Lithuania and Eastern Europe. The castle was built by Lithuanian Grand Dukes Kestutis and Vytautas in the late XIV – early XV century. The plan of the castle is very unusual. Lake Trakai reliably protected the princely residence from Germanic crusaders. After the victory of Polish-Lithuanian troops over the Teutons in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. Trakai Castle became the summer residence of the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was the golden age of Trakai. Over the following centuries, the castle became dilapidated and turned into ruins. Restoration began in the 1950s during the Soviet rule and continues to this day.

General information

The castle complex is built on three islands and includes a fortress connected to the Gothic princely palace. The entire complex is surrounded by a fortress wall. The main attraction of the complex is the five-story donjon, which reaches a height of 25 meters. The palace and the castle are connected by wooden staircases and balconies. Today concerts and performances are organized in one of the huge halls of the first floor. The palace buildings have changed their purpose many times. In one of them there is an exhibition with various historical objects and paintings about the history of the palace. A wooden bridge leads from the town to the castle on the island. It goes to the small island of Carvine, which is connected to Pilies Sala by another wooden bridge.

Pilies Sala.