With its picturesque red-brick castle, Karaite culture, quaint wooden houses and pretty lakeside location, Trakai is a highly recommended day trip, within easy reach of the capital.
The Karaite people are named after the term kara, which means 'to study the scriptures' in both Hebrew and Arabic. The sect originated in Baghdad and practises strict adherence to the Torah (rejecting the rabbinic Talmud). In around 1400 the grand duke of Lithuania, Vytautas, brought about 380 Karaite families to Trakai from Crimea to serve as bodyguards. Only a dozen families remain in Trakai today and their numbers are dwindling rapidly.
Trakai's trophy piece is the fairy-tale Trakai Castle, occupying a small island in Lake Galvė. A footbridge links the island castle to the shore. The red-brick Gothic castle, painstakingly restored from original blueprints, dates from the late 14th century. Inside the castle, the Trakai History Museum (Trakų Istorijos Muziejus) tells the story of the structure. There's a bewildering variety of objects on show – hoards of coins, weaponry and porcelain, as well as interactive displays.
You can sample kibinai (meat-stuffed Karaite pastries similar to empanadas or Cornish pasties) either at Senoji Kibininė ( www.kibinas.lt) or at Kybynlar ( www.kybynlar.lt ).
Up to 10 trains daily (€1.60, 35 to 45 minutes) travel between Trakai and Vilnius. There are also frequent buses (€1.80, 40 minutes, twice hourly). From the bus or train station, hike about 15 minutes to find the lakes and castle.
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