Row, row, row your boat, gently 'round Trakai...
Surrounded by the waters of Lake Galve, connected to the mainland by a two wooden bridges, sits the island castle of Trakai. Definitely the best way to appreciate its romantic setting is to take a boat around the island to savor the excellent views of the red brick towers and walls of the castle amidst the tranquil water. Though impressive enough on the inside, the best feature of the castle is really its setting so my advice is to make the most of that experience. After Kestutis, father of Vytautas the Great, had started constructions of the castle, it served as an important defensive stronghold against the raiding Teutonic knights. Withstanding the forays of the Teutons, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached the height of its power in the fifteenth century under the rule of Vytautas the Great. With the Grand Duchy stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, Vytautas was in need of a...
