Page 258 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

256  LITHU ANIA REGION B Y REGION

1 Trakai Island Castle

A formidable stronghold for any invader to overcome, the
Island Castle in Trakai was built as a seat of power during
the reign of Vytautas the Great and completed just before
the Grand Duchy’s crushing victory over the Teutonic Knights
at the Battle of Grünwald (see p216). As Vilnius grew in
importance, Trakai lost its significance and was destroyed
by the Cossacks during the 1655 Russian invasion. In the
late 19th century, the elegiac island ruins captured the
imagina tions of poets and painters during the national
revival. Oddly, it was the Soviet authorities who, in the Dry moat, separating the main castle from
1950s, sanctioned the reconstruction of this monument the outer courtyard
to Lithuania’s glorious past. It was completed in 1987.

. Lakeside Walk
One way to appreciate Trakai’s
idyllic lake-filled landscape
and the scale of the castle’s
construc tion, is to take the
pretty walk that follows
the shore of the island.

KEY
1 A wooden footbridge links the
shore to the Island Castle.
2 The circular defence towers
have 4-m (13-ft) thick bases.
3 The Ducal Palace’s keep, which
is 30 m (100 ft) high, served as the
resi dence of the Grand Duke.
4 Yachts from the nearby Žalgiris
Yacht Club are moored next to the
Island Castle between May and
October. They can be hired by the
hour; charges vary.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp305–306 and pp328–30

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