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Trakai Island Castle is comprised of two parts - the bailey (grand courtyard of the lower part of the castle) and residential palace (upper part of the castle), which is divided by a canal, which at the time was filled with lake waterIn bailey lived the castle's garrison, which was for defending. The courtyard was used for general purposes The bailey of Trakai Island Castle has four defensive towers including gate towerAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences was established in 1941 together with the Academy of Sciences, in the building of the former State Wróblewski LibraryBetween two world wars, State Wróblewski Library was one of the largest libraries in Vilnius. It was founded by lower Tadeusz Wróblewski. In 1941, the new Library inherited from it some 163.000 volumes, more than 35.000 manuscripts, large collections of numismatics, cartography, and artworksAfter WWII, the Library was supplemented by extensive collections from other libraries. Today, its stocks count more than 3.77 mln itemsAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Simonas Daukantas was one of the first authors to start forming the concept of an ethnic Lithuanian nation and its cultural history The larger part of the premises in this courtyard belongs to the Faculty of Philology. The Institute of Foreign Languages is located here too "Domus Philologiae" with the lobby of Muses on the first floor of the east wing is decorated by a fresco created by Rimtautas Gibavičius in 1969 All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic © Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

Until the 15th century, the castle was the residence of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes. The complex was built from the beginning of the 14th century to the beginning of the 15th century The castle is comprised of two parts - the bailey and the residential palace, which is divided by a canal, which at the same time was filled with lake waterThe castle is surrounded in a circle by a two-story wooden galleryAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

Grand Duke Gediminas is considered as the founder of the city of VilniusGediminas was a diplomatic politician, creating ties with the Roman Pope and other European rulers. He created favourable conditions for merchants and guildsmen to come to the cityDuring the time of Gediminas, people of different ethnicities and confessions began to live in VilniusAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

A plate devoted to Napoleon's Army in New Trakai in 1812A plate devoted to Napoleon's Army in New Trakai in 1812A plate devoted to Napoleon's Army in New Trakai in 1812All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The museum is located in the north wing of the Old Arsenal and looks at Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age Lithuania followed by the various tribes that inhabited the area until they combined to form a state in the 13th centuryThe museum displays object found in burial sites, such as pins, amulets, rings, brooches, knives or necklaces. You can as well as see regional dressses of Lithuanian tribes before the formation of the state in the mid-13th century The museum shows a hoard of some 16.000 17th-century coins found in 1999 in Vilnius. It is believed that the hoard may have been hidden during the 1700-1721 Great Northen War. Nevertheless, it is the largest collection of old coins to be found in Lithuania All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Church of St. Anne (left) and Bernardine Church (right)St. Anne Church, designed in 1495-1500 by Benedikt Rejt, built up at the turn of the 15th century, and renovated in 1902-1909. The façade was reinforced in 1960-1970St. Anne Church - a church which French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to put on his palm and carry it over to Paris All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

Its foundations are superimposed on the remains of a square tower, one of the oldest brick buildings in Lithuania, whose bricks are bound in the pre-Cothis (Baltic) manner An oval four-story tower with loopholes was built on these remains. Originally, it was a defensive tower of the Lower CastleThe underground square part dates from the 13th century, and the round part - from the late 14th century All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The school of Trakai Karaims is located in Karaim Str. in the Old Town of New TrakaiToday, there are some 300 Karaims left in Lithuania, though other Karaim communities can be found in Istanbul, Cairo, and Jerusalem Karaites have made a clear mark on life in New Trakai. Their Kenessa and school are still standing and the main street in the Old Town of Trakai is called Karaim Str.All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The church was originally Gothic but in 1750-1755 it was restored according to design by Franz Ignatius Hoffer and acquired some late Baroque and Rococo featuresNearby the church building stand the 17th-18th-century buildings of the Carmelite Monastery which had a rich archive and library. A study centre opereted there. In 1797-1944 it housed the Ecclesiastical Seminary  Today the buildings are used by the Centre for Book Research and Libraries, and the church is closed to the publicAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

A monument to dr. Jonas Basanavičius in Vilnius in front of the building of the Lithuanian National PhilharmonicDr. Jonas Basanavičius chaired the session of Lithuanian Council that adopted the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 1918-02-16. He was the first to sign the Act of the Proclamation of the Lithuanian IndependenceBalancing between Lithuanian and Polish interests, he refused to participate in the opening of the Polish Stefan Batory University (today Vilnius University)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

New Trakai was established on islands or groups of islands, because it was ideal for defensive purposesThe various parts of the city were connected into a whole by summer and winter roads. In the summer, the city was long, while in the winter it was circularNew Trakai was protected in particular because of its importance. Its defensive complex was finished at the end of the 14th century. It was comprised of the Peninsula and Island CastlesAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

A geographical centre of Europe - 25 km far from Vilnius. From 2015 Summer You will get a special Certificate that you have visited the Geographical center of Europe. Don't miss the chance to get it for freeThe Baltic States of Europe - Estonia, Latvia & LithuaniaVytis (The Knight) - The Coat of Arm of both historical Grand Duchy of Lithuania and present-day the Republic of LithuaniaOrigins of images: Facebook, Twitter, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, Imageinjection & Pinterest.Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement!Donate to Support UsWe would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working.

The Royal Palace of Lithuania (the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania) is a part of the complex of buildings of the Lower Castle in VilniusThe entrance gate to the palaceInner courtyard of the Royal PalaceAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

If you go through the gates of the dungeon you find yourself in a small inner courtyard paved with stones. It is surrounded in a circle by a two-story wooden galleryThe Trakai History Museum was established in the castle in 1962. There are today total of 16 exhibition hallsWhen enemies attacked, the wooden galleries were burned, which made it more difficult to get into the palaceAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The largest lakes, such as Galvė, Skaistis, Bernardinai (Luka), and Totoriškės are connected together. All of them are offering great facilities for all kinds of water-sports on the lakesThe Trakai Rowing Museum has display objects from the beginning of the rowing sport in the mid-19th century up to the present, including championship trophies and prizes, and also a 19th-century sporting boatIn New Trakai exists Varnikai Botanical-Zoological Reserve Nature Trail All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Kybyn (pl. Kybynlar) is the most popular Karaite dish in Lithuania, which is a roll made of leavened dough in the shape of a half-moon, whithlamb and beef inside A Karaite wooden house with its back stickling out into the street because of a lack of room, and always with three windows - one for God, one for Vytautas, and one for a guest A Karaime hiuse in New Trakai All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic © Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The Old Campus in the Old town - Rectorate buildingThe Old Campus in the Old town - Rector's Office and former Astronomical Observatory building (right) and the Central Library building (left) with the Central Library Courtyard in front of the buildingsThe History Facutly building (left) and the Central Library building (right) with the arched gates to Mikalojus Dukša Courtyard (left) and Mathias Casimir Sarbievius Courtyard (forward)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018