If you would like to experience the best emotions during your holiday, take a rest from a fast pace of life and enjoy picturesque landscape, then you must see Trakai. The historic capital of Lithuania, Trakai, is a town surrounded by lakes and rich in legends, home to the national pride – the only island castle in the whole of Eastern Europe. On your journey from Vilnius to Trakai we recommend stopping by at the famous Paneriai and visiting a small museum and park still remembering the painful historic times. The meticulously planned Trakai castle and Paneriai memorial park tour from Discover Lithuania ensures a perfect free time while learning about the rich history of Lithuania and marvelling at historic and cultural monuments.
Paneriai – a reminder of painful history
Despite its remarkable landscape, Paneriai fame comes from its painful historic past. The Paneriai Memorial stretches over several hectares of pine forest and is home to monuments for people of all nationalities who were killed here. Inside the modern-day Paneriai memorial back in 1939 the construction of a Soviet military base started and initially was planned to house aviation fuel reservoirs. In 1941, following the German occupation of Vilnius, this territory was used as an execution site for prisoners of war. Later it became the place for executing local civilians, mainly Jews; many people of other nationalities perished on this site too. The sombre and reverent atmosphere at Paneriai Memorial Park targets 6 main human senses: hearing, vision, smell, taste, touch, and intuition. Architectural means help to create the mood of serenity, respect, and self-perception, having an intention to narrate about the painful past events intuitively.
Legendary Trakai
Trakai – once highly-valued town by the grand dukes of Lithuania – continues to emanate the spirit of the past to this day and is an attractive place because of its wonderful nature, traditional Karaim cuisine, and the magnificent Trakai Castle. An island, washed by the waters of Lake Galvė and home to Trakai Castle, takes your breath away at any time of the year. This unique reconstructed castle from the 14th century can be enjoyed from the shore or from inside the Trakai historical museum. The Castle square is a famous place for hosting Medieval festivals, concerts and craft workshops.
Trakai is one of the most beautiful towns of Lithuania, offering a variety of activities to keep you busy, e.g. city residents and guests can fish or ride a water bike, etc. If you are visiting Trakai in summer, when Lake Galvė is fully navigable and not frozen, taking a yacht trip around the castle is the best way to explore and discover Trakai Castle.
If you would like to experience the true spirit of Trakai, you should not only opt for the private tour to Trakai Castle, but must taste the famous Karaim pastry kibinai made from specialty flour. Karaims are the smallest ethnic minority of Turkic origin in Lithuania living in Trakai from 14th century, whereas the stories about the traditional dish of this ethnic group – kibinai – travel well beyond Trakai. If you have some free time, you should enjoy these pastries at a peace and calm of a café offering a splendid view of the castle.
„Discover Lithuania“ – carefree travel in Lithuania!
Trakai castle and Paneriai memorial park tour is a tour for travellers willing to learn about the history of the country and spend some pleasant time in picturesque surroundings. The town of Trakai, situated in between three lakes, and situated 28 km west off the capital Vilnius, attracts over two million tourists every year. This is one of the most beautiful towns in Lithuania, with a charmingly romantic and historical atmosphere. To make your tour a smooth experience, reflecting personal preferences of travellers, and leaving long-lasting impressions, you have to choose a reliable tour operator. Discover Lithuania has been operating on the tourism market for many years. It is a private tour operator in Lithuania offering convenient guided tours to the most popular sites of Lithuania, including transportation and pick up & drop off services.