Trakai
A red-brick castle on an island in Lake Galvė, a street of Karaim wooden houses, and the capital’s runway twenty-three kilometres away.
- Arrival
- Vilnius International · VNO
- To the town
- About 23 km west of the airport, in a straight line
- Private jets
- At VNO: customs, slots and a handler
- Best time
- May to August
The city
Water on every side.
Trakai sits on a neck of land between lakes, and its castle stands on an island in Lake Galvė, joined to the shore by footbridges. Along Karaimų Street, the old houses of the Karaim community turn their gables to the road; at number 53A, Apvalaus Stalo Klubo, listed in the MICHELIN Guide, looks across the water to the castle through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Most visitors come for the day from Vilnius, but the lakes suit a longer stay. From May to August afternoons reach eighteen to twenty-two degrees, and the evenings stay light late on the water.
Arriving
Land in the capital, drive to the lakes.
Trakai has no airport of its own. Vilnius International, about twenty-three kilometres east in a straight line, has customs on site, a 2,515-metre runway and a tower open day and night.
- Vienna 1 h 35
- Frankfurt 1 h 55
- Marrakech 5 h 00
- Seoul 9 h 50 long-range jet
- Los Angeles 12 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
May to August.
The climate is inland and continental. The lake season runs from May to August, with afternoons around twenty degrees and July the wettest month; from December to February the highs stay below freezing.
- -3° J 40
- -2° F 35
- 3° M 38
- 11° A 46
- 18° M 59
- 21° J 75
- 22° J 77
- 22° A 72
- 16° S 65
- 10° O 51
- 4° N 56
- -1° D 53
What to see and do
Days in and around Trakai.
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Landmark
Trakai Island Castle
A fourteenth-century fortress of red brick, rebuilt on its island and reached on foot across the lake.
-
Landmark
Lake Galvė
The lake that wraps the castle island, with the fortress in view from much of its shore.
-
Landmark
Karaimų Street
The wooden houses of the Karaim, a small Turkic community long settled in the town, gable-end to the road.
-
Culture
Vilnius Old Town
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, about 350 hectares of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque streets around Pilies Street and the university courtyards.
Official site -
Opera & music
Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre
Opera and ballet in a 984 seat house on the Neris, which the company has occupied since 1974.
Official site -
Culture
Kernavė Archaeological Site
UNESCO listed since 2004: a medieval town site, five hill forts and traces of 10,000 years of settlement in the Neris valley.
Official site -
Culture
Europos Parkas
An open air sculpture park begun in 1987 on 50 hectares of forest, holding more than 90 works by artists from 27 countries.
Where to stay
In the capital, or by a lake of your own.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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Hotel Pacai Painted ceilings and a courtyard in a palace on Didžioji Street, a spa with a Turkish bath, and one MICHELIN Key.
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Grand Hotel Vilnius, Curio Collection by Hilton Rooms in the city’s old telegraph building, looking onto Cathedral Square.
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Narutis An old-town hotel with its own spa and dining room.
- Esperanza Lake Resort Cedar buildings on eleven private hectares of forest and shore, a 1,000 m² spa, and one MICHELIN Key.
Where to dine
Stars in Vilnius, a short drive away.
Trakai has no high-end table of its own. These are in Vilnius, from the MICHELIN Guide Lithuania 2026.
- Nineteen18 One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Vilnius, about 23 km east
- Deep Roots One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Vilnius, about 23 km east
- Džiaugsmas One Michelin star Modern €€€ Vilnius, about 23 km east
- Stikliai MICHELIN Guide Modern €€€€ Vilnius, about 23 km east
- PACAI Restaurant MICHELIN Guide Modern €€€ Hotel Pacai, Vilnius, about 23 km east
Flying to Trakai?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.