Trakai Peninsula Castle, Medieval castle on peninsula in Trakai, Lithuania
Trakai Peninsula Castle is a ruined brick castle in Trakai, Lithuania, built on a narrow strip of land between Lake Galvė and Lake Luka. The remains include sections of the original walls and seven defensive towers that once enclosed the fortified grounds.
Duke Kęstutis ordered the castle built between 1350 and 1377 as a defense against raids by the Teutonic Knights, who threatened the region from the west. Over the following centuries it lost its military role and gradually fell into ruin.
The ruins of the peninsula castle sit on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, giving the site a look unlike most other castles in the region. Visitors can walk among the surviving walls and towers, which are now part of the broader Trakai National Park.
The site is managed by the Trakai Historical Museum and is open to visitors. Wearing sturdy shoes is a good idea, as some sections of the grounds have uneven terrain.
The southwestern part of the castle had three especially thick towers that worked together with a wide moat to form a second line of defense. This combination of towers and water barrier was not common in Lithuanian fortifications of that period.
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