I Visited Trakai, Lithuania and Loved It: Read This Before You Go

Trakai is a beautiful little village just outside of Vilnius, Lithuania. It’s one of the most charming places I’ve been to in Eastern Europe.

The village itself is small and peaceful. The Trakai Castle in many ways reminds me of a little village of Lego Robotics I built when I was a child. It’s that surreal, with its red brick towers rising straight out of Lake Galve.

It’s quite easy to take a day, or even just a short trip from Vilnius. It takes roughly an hour, and you can see the short distance between Trakai and Vilnius in this map.

How to Get from Vilnius to Trakai

If you don’t want to choose the convenience of the tour I recommended above, you can get to the city of Trakai by road. Just go to the Vilnius bus station and get on the bus that has the sign in its window saying “Trakai” – it’s that easy!

As far as I remember, there is NOT an actual bus number. You can always just ask someone if it comes to it – locals are always happy to help. The DIY bus ticket costs around €4.00.

However, the bus station in Trakai is actually quite far from the village and castle itself. It’s well over a mile (2KM), and this is why I recommend the tour from Vilnius instead. Otherwise, you will have to walk or take other smaller buses from there (and back).

As an alternative, the train from Vilnius to Trakai is also an option. It offers a much smoother ride with scenic views and costs roughly the same as the bus. However, the train station is also far from the castle, just like the bus station.

If public transport isn’t your thing, Bolt is everywhere in the Vilnius-Trakai corridor now. Uber and traditional taxis are still around, but Bolt is the absolute king here for quick, affordable rides.

Here’s a picture of the walk on the way to the town itself, as this is how I did it the first time I visited:

As you can see, it’s actually a very pleasant walk and well worth doing, at least one way.

However, after a long day of walking around the town and castle, I’d totally understand if you didn’t want to make the trek all the way back to the bus station, too.

Trakai Village and the Karaim Legacy

The village itself is full of excellent restaurants, shops, and other places to explore. In fact, I highly recommend you get some Cepelinai (Lithuanian dumplings) while you’re out there. They’re delicious.

Here are some photos from around the village itself to get a better picture of the place. In the end, an image is worth 1,000 words, right?

First up, the “boardwalk” where you can rent paddle boats, shop for souvenirs, and more:

The waterfront patio:

A dog hoping to take a boat ride:

A shot of the water from the shore:

This town is also the home of the Karaim people, a Turkic ethnic group that arrived here centuries ago. Their iconic dish is called Kibinai (or Kybyn) – a baked pastry stuffed with minced meat and onions.

I love grabbing a couple of these hot from a local bakery – they are cheap, filling, tasty, and perfect for eating while walking along the water.

And if you enjoy food as much as I do, you can also check some of my previous articles, like my Guide to Finnish Cuisine, or the Best Restaurants in Prague.

The Trakai Castle

[via Wikipedia]: Trakai Castle is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430.

Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance.

This castle has been knocked down, put back together, and overall has a ton of interesting history. If you’re short on time, you can walk around the outside enjoy it.

However, if time permits – take the tour inside. I regretfully didn’t have time on this trip but am looking forward to going back and exploring a little bit deeper into it’s secrets.

Who knows? Maybe you will find one of the amazing Lithuanian women during your trip and fall in love irreversibly. Always an option!

Here’s some castle photos for your enjoyment:

Hot Air Balloons & Uzutrakis Manor

There are more options than simply wandering around and looking. Trakai is one of the few places in Europe where you can legally take a hot air balloon ride directly over a historical castle. I highly recommend booking a flight at sunrise or sunset. Seeing the red bricks surrounded by deep blue water from the sky is something you won’t forget.

It’s true – it’s not as spectacular as hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, but it’s a great experience nevertheless!

If you prefer to stay on the ground, head over to the opposite shore to see the Uzutrakis Manor Estate. It is a stunning 19th-century neoclassical mansion with a beautifully manicured French park (and I recommend choosing this tour that covers everything).

It gives you a completely different perspective of the lake and is far less crowded than the main village. Renting a kayak for a night paddle on Lake Galvė is also an incredible way to experience the area without the daytime tourist traffic.

Closing Thoughts on Trakai Village

In conclusion, Trakai is absolutely worth a visit if you’re in Lithuania. I promise you that you won’t regret it.

Lithuania as a whole is a very interesting country. It’s very much Eastern European in many ways, but has some Western amenities.

With that being said, it is a small place. Vilnius can easily be done from a tourism perspective in a day or two. If you wanted to live, party, or immerse yourself into Lithuania, you could.

However, from a short trip perspective you’ll run out of things to do quickly (But do check my guide to Vilnius, Lithuania – you’ll find a lot of useful things there).

On top of it, Trakai is realistically the only other city you can do in a one-day trip. Kaunas is close enough that you probably could (an hour or two by train each way), but it’s also quite small in nature.

And if you enjoy affordable stuff as much as I do, I recommend checking out my previous article sharing the top 5 cheapest countries in the EU to live in.