This masterpiece of medieval defensive architecture is the only castle surrounded by water in Eastern Europe. The island castle is situated on one of the islands of Lake Galvė. The castle of Trakai Island was the home of the Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Only Sigismund Augustus broke this tradition by building a palace in Vilnius.
The castle was neglected as time passed, destroyed during the war of 1655 and ravaged by the locals for centuries. They dismantled the castle walls, looted stones and bricks.
The castle was built on three islands. The largest island houses the Dukes' Palace. The second islet is the site of the casemates, and the third islet is the site of the southeast tower. Currently, the Galvė Lake has subsided, and the original appearance of the castle is barely possible to imagine.
The palace was built with a donjon, right wing, and left wing upon its construction. The halls of the palace were impressive, with gothic star vaults, oak doors, and stained-glass windows. A Donjon, as high as 33 metres, was the tallest building in the ensemble. A drawbridge preceded the donjon. The first floor of the donjon served as the entrance to the palace courtyard and was covered with a drawbridge. There was also an iron lifting grille. The staircase in the forecourt led to the second floor. There were spiral staircases in the palace, a guard on the second floor and the chapel on the fifth floor.
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