Things to Do in Trakai, Lithuania

Quick facts: In the center of a lake with seven islands, a red brick castle rises, crossing a wooden path that seems to lead to another world. More than 200,000 visitors per year try the famous kibinai, a Lithuanian delicacy served in a small restaurant by the water.

Highlights: The castle was built on a natural island between three lakes, creating a defensive system that no enemy ever managed to breach. Its restoration in the 1950s brought to light colors and architectural details that had been covered for centuries.

Quick facts: The castle was built in the 1350s and served as a stronghold of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania against the Teutonic Knights. Today it houses a museum with over 2,000 exhibits, ranging from medieval weapons to period furniture.

Highlights: The interior of the castle has recently been restored with fresh, vibrant murals depicting scenes from the medieval court of the Lithuanian dukes. The throne room is a small gem with golden decorations and wood carvings that transport you straight to the 14th century.

Quick facts: It is one of the few wooden churches in Lithuania that survive in their Gothic form, with a unique bell tower 27 meters high that dominates Lake Galvė. Inside the church, a rare copy of the Virgin Mary of Trakai is kept, considered miraculous by the local faithful.

Highlights: The church has a hidden staircase of 52 steps leading to the top of the bell tower, where the view of the lake and Trakai Castle is truly breathtaking. Few know that beneath the floor there is an underground corridor that is said to have once connected the church to the neighboring castle.

Quick facts: Founded to protect a unique complex of lakes, forests and a medieval castle on an island. It covers 8,200 hectares and hosts over 200 species of birds, while its lakes cover almost 22% of the total area.

Highlights: Trakai Castle, built on a small island in the middle of Lake Galve, is the only island castle in all of Eastern Europe. Imagine a stone fortress with bright red Gothic details emerging from the blue-green waters, especially magical when the sunset light paints it golden.

Quick facts: It is housed in a restored 19th century building that was once a town hall and later a high school. It shares the same space with a small exhibition dedicated to the traditional wooden houses of the area.

Highlights: Inside the information center there is an interactive map that lights up with LED bulbs every time a visitor selects a point of interest. You can listen to recorded testimonies from locals in Lithuanian, English, and Russian, bringing the city's stories to life.

Quick facts: With an area of 5.6 square kilometers, the lake was formed by melted glacial waters about 15,000 years ago. Beneath its surface lie 21 tiny islands, with the largest hosting one of the most impressive stone castles in Eastern Europe.

Highlights: A replica of a 15-meter-long medieval ship sails its waters every summer, offering rides to the sound of wooden oars and folk songs. It is said that the lake is home to a rare species of fish, the Trakai perch, which is found only here in all of Lithuania.

Quick facts: Over 60 wooden sculptures adorn this park, each one hand-carved by artists from around the world. The park was born out of an international woodcarving symposium that takes place every year, leaving behind new works of art.

Highlights: Imagine giant fairy-tale figures, mythical creatures, and abstract compositions emerging from among the trees, with the smell of freshly cut wood still lingering in the air. Each sculpture tells a story, ranging from Lithuanian mythology to contemporary social messages.

Quick facts: The 32-minute ride from the capital costs about a euro, one of the best value day trips in the country for the price of a bus ticket. Passengers have stepped onto this platform since the 1860s, when the line carried imperial mail between St. Petersburg and Warsaw.

Highlights: Grab a left-side window seat and the castle's brick towers rise over the lake about seven minutes before the train brakes, a reveal unchanged for over 160 years. Conductors still wave handheld flags here instead of using digital signals, and the platform's original cast-iron lamp posts survive from the imperial era.