Legend

People are telling a lot of legends about how Trakai was born. According to one of them, after a successful hunting party, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and decided to build a castle in the location. That is how the Old Trakai Castle was built in Senieji Trakai. Another legend tells that Trakai appeared on women's whims. Kestutis’ Duke of Trakai and Samogitia, wife Birute was unsatisfied that there is very little water in Old Trakai (about 3 km from Trakai) compared to her birthplace Palanga. As the result in the end of XIV century Kestutis begun to build new castle on the peninsula and about 1376 moved there. Later Duke Kestutis and his son Vytautas the Great built another castle in the largest Galves lake island.

Trakai Today

Trakai is a symbol of Lithuanian tourism like Venice in Italy, or St. Petersburg in Russia. A miniature wooden town is encircled by several lakes. This is Trakai we know. Moreover, historical capital of ancient Lithuania fascinates with its wooden architecture, medieval castles, and magnificent scenery and at the same time – a modern face of the town. Trakai can be proclaimed being one of the most visited spots on the cultural tourism map. The former capital with all the ancient castles lies beside the current Vilnius metropolis and now is the attribute of Lithuanian tourism. Trakai cannot be imagined without the residencies of Lithuanian Grand Dukes living earlier in the Island and Peninsula Castles, karaites ethnography as well as sacred exhibitions. The pride of Lithuania, Trakai is the only in all Eastern Europe, situated in the island. At the end of the 14th- 15th c. Trakai castle was a summer residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Today Trakai castles are one of the most visited tourist sites in Lithuania, during the year it attracts up to 300 000 visitors. The medieval character of Trakai is used by numerous knights’ clubs that regularly organize their tournaments. The staging of ancient battles adds more effect to the Trakai castle. In general Trakai exploits its historical heritage quite skillfully periodically organizing not only competitions for the knights in their armor but also different mass shows. A good example is the staging of the opera “Pilenai”. Chamber music concerts are often held in Uzutrakis where neorenaissance style Count J. Tiskevicius palace is surrounded by park designed by French landscape architect E. Andre. Trakai is an exclusively unique city. As Venice or Saint-Petersburg it was built on the water. But in comparison with its colleagues Trakai doesn’t have any outlet to the sea. It’s surrounded by 5 lakes: Galve, Skaistis, Luka, Totorishkiu and Akmena.Trakai castle as many other architectural monuments of the city is the part of the Trakai Historical National Park. In addition to study tours, museums, trips by boats, yachts or steam boat, swimming or diving, fishing, camping and visits to cafes, many consider walking in the city or just sitting near lake also as relaxing and enjoyable. As famous world class ballet legend and honorary citizen of Trakai Maja Pliseckaja once said: if there is a paradise on earth it is here in Trakai

Main historical facts:

The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. This year is considered to be the official date of town's foundation.

Trakai are famous for the castles of Lithuanian Grand Dukes. One of them was built on peninsula and the other one in the island of a lake. Trakai was the second capital of Lithuania during the sovereignty of brothers Kestutis and Algirdas.

Kestutis moved his capital from Old Trakai to the lake protected New Trakai in 1375. At his times this was a town already. Trakai became a residence of Lithuanian Grand Dukes and was the place of the struggles for power between the Dukes and also fierce battles with the Order of the Knights of Cross.

Skirgaila, who was the reign of the castle after the assassination of Kestutis, burned Trakai in 1391 when retreating from the approaching armies of the Order.

Trakai prospered again at the end of XIV century and beginning of XV century, during the times of Vytautas the Great, who rebuilt Trakai and built the castle from scratch again.

In the beginning of XV century, Ghillebert de Lannoy in his travel review wrote that Trakai was a large, open and multicultural city. At present, together with the Lithuanians, there are Russians, Jews, Tatars and Karaites living in Trakai also. According to the stories, Vytautas the Great brought the Karaites from the Black sea. Indeed, Karaites were settling in Trakai since XIII century. Even at present, walking on the streets of Trakai one would notice the wooden houses of Karaites with three windows looking to the street. The kenese - wooden Karaitian church built in XVIII century also reached our days. The only Karaite Museum in the world was established in Trakai in 1938.

In XV century Trakai were famous not solely for the culture of it's palace, but also for astonishing nature and especially fauna with aurochs, elks and deers.

After death of Vytautas, Trakai castle went through the times of both embellishment and neglect. Since the times of Alexander there was a prison for the nobles. In XVI century, the envoys of Moscow Dukes and even the Khan of Golden Horde, Shich-Achmet have been imprisoned there.

In the middle of XVI century, Trakai started loosing its significance. However, Zygimantas Augustas, who, although, has not even been visiting Vilnius too often, treated Trakai as an equal capital.

The religious life of Trakai revived in XVII century. The pilgrims and palmers started visiting the parish church (five baroque sanctuaries and paintings of unknown painters remained untill our days) wishing to see the painting of Holy Mother, which was famous for its miracles. Vytautas the Great received it from Eastern Roman Empire and donated to Trakai.

Trakai castle declined in XVIII century only. In XX century, after the World War I, the castle started being preserved and restored. The reconstruction works started in 1956. The castle regained the shape of XV century in 1987. The Museum of Trakai History has been established in 1962. In 1992, the new exposition on Lithuanian manor culture was displayed in the museum.