Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Trakai

The town surrounded by many lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy, and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. The construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the castles remained royal property, but the town's importance declined. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of King Casimir IV with Venetian envoys. After that, the castle became a prison. The castle then was refurbished by Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair. During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with the Tsardom of Russia in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. After WW I, the area became part of the Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered the reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works were almost complete in 1939 when the Invasion of Poland started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944. After WW II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR. The reconstruction was completed in the 1990s and by now is a major tourist attraction. Today the castle is used as a museum.

The town surrounded by many lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy, and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. The construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the castles remained royal property, but the town's importance declined. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of King Casimir IV with Venetian envoys. After that, the castle became a prison. The castle then was refurbished by Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair. During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with the Tsardom of Russia in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. After WW I, the area became part of the Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered the reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works were almost complete in 1939 when the Invasion of Poland started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944. After WW II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR. The reconstruction was completed in the 1990s and by now is a major tourist attraction. Today the castle is used as a museum.

The town surrounded by many lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy, and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. The construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the castles remained royal property, but the town's importance declined. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of King Casimir IV with Venetian envoys. After that, the castle became a prison. The castle then was refurbished by Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair. During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with the Tsardom of Russia in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. After WW I, the area became part of the Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered the reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works were almost complete in 1939 when the Invasion of Poland started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944. After WW II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR. The reconstruction was completed in the 1990s and by now is a major tourist attraction.

The town surrounded by many lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy, and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. The construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the castles remained royal property, but the town's importance declined. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of King Casimir IV with Venetian envoys. After that, the castle became a prison. The castle then was refurbished by Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair. During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with the Tsardom of Russia in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. After WW I, the area became part of the Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered the reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works were almost complete in 1939 when the Invasion of Poland started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944. After WW II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR. The reconstruction was completed in the 1990s and by now is a major tourist attraction.

The Trakai District has nearly 200 lakes. Many of them border the town of Trakai itself. It seems as if water reigns in the area, and land obediently gives way to it. The Galvė lake one of the largest in the Trakai region and one of the deepest in Lithuania. Its waters are dotted with 21 islands.

The town surrounded by many lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. Construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary was founded in 1409 by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas the Great after the construction of the Trakai moated castle. During the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667 the church was damaged and subsequently restored. Around 1719 it was baroqueized. The first church was built on a rectangular ground plan in Gothic style. Unfortunately, the church was locked.

The town surrounded by lakes developed in the 13th century. According to a legend, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then the capital of the Grand Duchy and decided to build a castle in the location. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. Later a castle was built on an island in Lake Galvė. This and a neighboring castle in the town suffered from attacks of the Teutonic Knights during which both wooden castles were raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row. Despite this Trakai became a political and administrative centre of the Duchy. Construction of brick castles was finished and a church was built. In 1409, the town was granted city rights. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the castles remained a royal property, but the town's importance declined. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of King Casimir IV with Venetian envoys. After that the castle became a prison for political prisoners. The castle then was refurbished by Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair. During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with the Tsardom of Russia in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Trakai was plundered again, as famine and plague swept the country. After the Partitions of Poland in 1795, the area was annexed by the Russian Empire. After WW I, the area became part of the Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered the reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works were almost complete in 1939, when the Invasion of Poland started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944. After WW II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR. The reconstruction was completed on the 1990s and by now is a major tourist attraction.