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Trakai Island Castle

Brick GothicBuildings and structures completed in 1409Buildings and structures in TrakaiCastles in LithuaniaGothic architecture in Lithuania
Museums in Vilnius CountyRebuilt buildings and structures in LithuaniaWater castles
Traku pilis by Augustas Didzgalvis
Traku pilis by Augustas Didzgalvis

Trakai Island Castle (Lithuanian: Trakų salos pilis; Polish: Zamek w Trokach) is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance. The castle was rebuilt in the 1950s–1960s by Lithuanian initiative, although it had received resistance from Soviet authorities. The Trakai History Museum was established after the reconstruction.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Trakai Island Castle (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Trakai Island Castle
Trakai Castle Bridge,

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Wikipedia: Trakai Island CastleContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 54.6525 ° E 24.933055555556 °
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Address

Trakai Castle Bridge
21104 , Old Town
Vilnius County, Lithuania
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Traku pilis by Augustas Didzgalvis
Traku pilis by Augustas Didzgalvis
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Trakai Peninsula Castle
Trakai Peninsula Castle

Trakai Peninsula Castle is one of the castles in Trakai, Lithuania. It is located on a peninsula between southern Lake Galvė and Lake Luka. Built around 1350–1377 by Kęstutis, Duke of Trakai, it was an important defensive structure protecting Trakai and Vilnius, capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, against attacks of the Teutonic Knights. Much of the castle was destroyed in the 17th century. Remaining walls and towers are preserved and protected by the Trakai Historical National Park. The castle had seven towers connected by a 10 m (33 ft) high wall. The three largest towers, measuring 15 m × 15 m (49 ft × 49 ft), protected the most vulnerable southwestern flank. A 12–14 m (39–46 ft) wide moat separated the structure from the town. The castle was attacked in 1382 and 1383 (during the civil war of 1381–1384) and in 1390 (during the civil war of 1389–1392). After the 1422 Treaty of Melno, the castle lost its significance as a defensive structure. It is known that Grand Dukes used it as a residence. Sigismund Kęstutaitis was murdered in the castle on 20 March 1440.In the 16th century the castle was used as a prison. It was destroyed during the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) and never rebuilt. The territory was granted to a Dominican cloister in 1678 by Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński, Voivode of Trakai. It was not until the 1770s that the monks eventually built their monastery and church; these buildings are also part of the castle ensemble.