Trakai Castle

Trakai Castle: Lithuania’s Island Fortress and the Karaites

Trakai Castle stands on an island in Lake Galve, 28km west of Vilnius in central Lithuania. The red brick Gothic fortress was built by Grand Duke Vytautas in the late 14th and early 15th centuries as the seat of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy - at the time the largest state in Europe by territory, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The castle fell into decline after the Grand Duchy’s merger with Poland in 1569 and was largely a ruin by the 18th century. Reconstruction began in the 1950s and continued for several decades; what stands now is substantially restored but based on solid archaeological evidence.

Entry costs EUR 10 for adults (2024 pricing). The castle is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00. The main island is reached by two wooden footbridges. The interior houses the Trakai History Museum with displays on the Grand Duchy period, medieval artefacts, and the history of the castle’s construction and restoration.

The Karaites

Trakai is home to a small but historically continuous community of Karaites - a Turkic Jewish sect that follows the Hebrew scriptures but rejects the Talmudic oral tradition. Grand Duke Vytautas brought several hundred Karaite families from Crimea to Trakai in the 1390s to serve as palace guards. Today fewer than 300 Karaites remain in Lithuania, and the Trakai community is one of the few places their culture persists in Europe.

The Karaite prayer house (kenesa) on Karaite Street in the town of Trakai is a 19th-century wooden building that can be visited. The small Karaite Ethnographic Museum next door (open daily except Mondays, entry EUR 3) explains the community’s history, language, and customs. This is not something most day-trippers from Vilnius notice and it is one of the more unusual cultural visits in the Baltic states.

Kibinai

The kibinas (plural: kibinai) is the Karaite pastry that Trakai is known for throughout Lithuania - a half-moon shaped shortcrust pasty filled with lamb and onion (the traditional version), or sometimes pork. They are sold at several cafes along the main street of Trakai town, most famously at Senoji Kibinine on Karaite Street. One kibinas costs around EUR 3-4. They are the reason many Vilnius residents visit Trakai.

Getting there

Trakai is an easy 30-45 minute train or bus journey from Vilnius. Buses from Vilnius Bus Station run frequently throughout the day and cost about EUR 1.50. Trains also run from Vilnius Central Station, slower but with lake views on the approach. The town is small enough to walk from the bus stop to the castle in 15 minutes.

Kayaking on Lake Galve

Kayak and pedalo rentals are available at the lakeside from spring through autumn (approximately EUR 10-15 per hour). Paddling around the castle island gives a view of the fortress from the water that is not accessible on foot. The lake has 21 islands; the castle occupies the largest. The water is clear and the lake is popular with local swimmers in summer.

For lunch or dinner, Apvalaus Stalo Klumai in the town offers Lithuanian dishes alongside kibinai, with outdoor seating facing the lake during warmer months.