Senieji Trakai Castle

Senieji Trakai, Lithuania

The first enclosure-type brick castle in Senieji Trakai was built by Grand Duke Gediminas, who transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai (today's Senieji Trakai) before 1321. The wedding of Grand Duke Kęstutis and Birutė was held there and it was the birthplace of the Grand Duke Vytautas in 1350.

The castle in Senieji Trakai was destroyed by the Teutonic Order in 1391, subsequently abandoned and never rebuilt as a new castle had been erected in Trakai by Kęstutis. The ruins of the castle were granted to Benedictian monks by Vytautas in 1405. It is presumed that the present monastery building, dating from the 15th century, holds the remains of Gediminas castle.

Archaeological research on the hillfort mound was carried out in 1996–1997. The findings confirmed the existence of a former rectangular masonry castle wall, which had surrounded the hill. It is supposed that the residential buildings had occupied the area near the church and the churchyard.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: before 1321
Category: Castles and fortifications in Lithuania

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Arnold Zinkevič (2 years ago)
Nice historical place always stoping there on my bike rides
Karolis Pikelis (5 years ago)
Was expecting something more, it's just a church
Jolita M (5 years ago)
I really recommend to visit this place
Peter Graham (6 years ago)
Senieji Trakai Castle was a castle in Senieji Trakai, Lithuania. The first enclosure-type brick castle was built by Grand Duke Gediminas, who transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai before 1321.
Edit W (6 years ago)
A little bit far away from bus station
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.