Trakai
Trakai
is a genuine archaic town on water. At the same time it is the beautiful
place for relaxation and rich in numerous beautiful lakes. The Trakai
town and its neighbouring outskirts, as the state's centre, had begun
to form in the 13 th century. According to the chronicles, the Grand Duke
Gediminas after a successful hunt found this nice place not far away from
the capital town of his time, Kernave, and decided to erect the castle
there. So the new capital Trakai originated. The town was mentioned in
German chronicles for the very fist time in 1337. And that year is considered
as the official year of the town's foundation. Around the newly built
castle in Trakai, settlements began to emerge. When Vytautas became the
Vassal Ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Trakai had become the political
and administrative centre. Eventually, the town gained the Magdeburg rights.
Trakai castle was built in the 15 th century. This is the only water castle
in the entire territory of Eastern Europe. The castle is one of the most
visited historical and architectural sites in Lithuania. The museum of
history operates there. Different events are organised, as well as festivals
of theatre and concerts.
Trakai is interesting also because of the fact that there live 30 Caraite
families – representatives of the Turkish ethnic group, the ancestors
of which were invited by Vytautas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania in the
14 th century. The Caraites guarded the castle of the Grand Duke, and
were the personal bodyguards of Vytautas himself. Besides this, they earned
their living by making handicrafts and trade. Their society preserved
their religion, customs, and culture up to present times.
Lower Castle Museum
In the 16th century, the Lower Castle was a luxurious residence of the Grand Dukes. However, the Castle burned many times and was restored again and again. After the wars of the 17th century, the destroyed castle began to loose its representational function: after the Lublin Union, the kings during their visits to Vilnius stayed in the other residences in the city. Finally, the castle began to decay and in 1802 its foundations were blasted according to the order of general governor. Now, archaeologists and preservers of historical sites are investigating the history of the former dukes' palace. It is intended to restore the palace in the future; but in the meanwhile, exhibitions, theatre performances, and concerts are taking place in the underground territory open for the visitors. Both the tourists groups and individual interested visitors may come here.
VILNIUS
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