Trakai

Trakai
City
Trakai
Location of Trakai
Coordinates: 54°38′0″N 24°56′0″E / 54.63333°N 24.93333°E / 54.63333; 24.93333
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionDzūkija
County Vilnius County
MunicipalityTrakai district municipality
EldershipTrakai eldership
Capital ofTrakai district municipality
Trakai eldership
First mentioned1337
Granted town rights1409
Area
  Total
11.5 km2 (4.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
  Total
5,426
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Trakai (Trakai; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 kilometres (17 miles) west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania or just 7 kilometres (4 miles) from the administrative limits of the Lithuanian capital city. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The city is inhabited by 5,357 people, according to 2007 estimates. A notable feature of Trakai is that the city was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here. Trakai was the medieval capital city of Lithuania.

Historically, the Trakai Island Castle, whose construction was finished by Grand Duke Vytautas, served as a residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.