Trakai moated castle
| Trakai moated castle | ||
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 overall view |
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| Alternative name (s): | Trakai Inselburg, Trakų salos pilis (Lithuanian) | |
| Creation time : | 14th Century | |
| Castle type : | Moated castle | |
| Conservation status: | restored | |
| Standing position : | German Order (Ordensburg) | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone open, brick | |
| Place: | Trakai | |
| Geographical location | 54 ° 39 '7.6 " N , 24 ° 55' 59.9" E | |
| Height: | 145 m | |
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The Trakai Castle is a late medieval moated castle in Lithuania . Today the facility is one of the most famous sights in Lithuania and is used as a museum.
history
The first castle was built in the second half of the 14th century under Prince Kęstutis . In 1377 she was attacked by the Teutonic Knights . Prince Gediminas was one of the owners of the castle ; he used the castle in Trakai as a residence for a time before he founded the new capital Vilnius . The castle became the scene of the conflict between Prince Vytautas and Władysław II Jagiełło over the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania . Vytautas settled in 1397 not only Tatars but also Karaimen as a bodyguard in the village. After the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410, the castle lost its military importance. The castle has been rebuilt and restored in the dilapidated parts since the beginning of the 20th century. Restoration work continued to a limited extent even during the Second World War .
Location and structure
The castle is located on an island between the Galvė Lake , the Lukos or Bernardin und Lake and the Totoriški liegt Lake and lies north of the present-day Trakai town . A bridge leads from the bank to the gatehouse , which is built into the outer fortification wall with battlements and three massive round corner towers . The symmetrically laid out main building with the donjon in its center are located on a raised plateau and are accessible via a bridge. This plateau is protected by another fortification wall. The kennel-like intermediate area used to be filled with water due to a higher water level. The rooms up to the second floor can be reached from the inner courtyard via wooden stairs and external corridors.
The museum located in the main building deals with the history of the castle and exhibits excavation finds. It shows the stages of the castle's restoration work and also features models of the castle. It also goes into the tradition of Tatars and Karaimen.
