There are a lot of legends surrounding a lot of towns. A lot of secrets, myths and theories we want to believe in order to make our everyday life a bit more interesting. But when visiting Trakai, a town surrounded by lakes and castles, it comes clear that some of the legends just has to be true. Trakai is a town full of legends and secrets so let‘s talk a bit about its history.

A town built on a whim

There is a legend, that Trakai was build because of two lovers and their wish to make each other happy. The lake town is a historical former capital of Lithuania and it is famous for the only castle built on an island in the whole East Europe. People say that Trakai was built because Birutė – a Lithuanian dukes wife – missed her hometown Palanga and didn‘t like living in the Old Trakai. So Kęstutis, her husband, decided to build his wife a castle surrounded by lakes, to make her happy. Now nobody really knows if this is true or not, but this is a very romantic legend of how Trakai was born.

A short history of the Trakai Castle

Spreading across the whole island, The Trakai castle used to be the home of Lithuanian monarchy. The gothic castle contained a mansion and a tower. All of the castle was surrounded by a well built defence wall separating the castle from the deep Galvė lake. The Trakai castle lost its political strength and importance, after the capital of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was moved to Vilnius. In the 16th century, the castle was turned into a prison for the aristocracy and later became a museum.

For those who love history and legends

If you‘re in love with history and places surrounded by legends and secrets – you have to visit Trakai. The Trakai Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lithuania. It seems that every little piece of the town has its own story. Visit Trakai and enjoy the majestic history of Lithuania, make sure to visit the museum and feast your eyes on secret passages, stained glass, galleries, incredibly beautiful halls and much more. Take place in one of the many fairs and events taking place in Trakai or just rent a boat and spend a day exploring the many beautiful lakes in this town.

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