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Dr. Lina Leparskienė Monographs “Tell Trakai”, “Local. Extraordinary trip to the Trakai region” author, cultural anthropologist is a bit categorical: “Let’s stop, we won’t shake our heads.
According to L. Leparskienė, it is possible to know and appreciate the uniqueness of the Trakai Lake District, to feel a real aesthetic pleasure only by traveling slowly through the Lake District, a fragmentary “standard” visit impoverishes the opportunity to know this region.
“The lakes of Trakai, connected by streams and straits, the landscape here is like cut-out water, only it was not created by man, but by nature. Seeing all this, he begins to understand why the Grand Dukes were formed here in Trakai ”, Lina Leparskienė invites you to travel with a picturesque comparison.
The surviving names of place names and hills testify to the establishment of Lithuanian dukes in Trakai: Kęstutis hill, Birutė hill (hill of the victims), Algirdas island. It is said that on Bathhouse Island, disobedient nobles were “lit a sauna” for their offenses against Duke Vytautas.
According to L. Leparskienė, according to ancient place names, Trakai is a whole complex of shrines. The surviving place names and the names of the lake’s islands suggest that religious rites may have been performed here. Alka, Raudai, Diamond, Holy Island, Arakalnis, Holy Lime Forest – names that date back to the era of ancient Lithuanian beliefs.
The head protects horrible legends about the origin of the name: it is said that the name of the lake may be derived from the word “head”: the lake has claimed a sacrifice every year, at least one person drowning. As if confirming the legend, the event is remembered when a fisherman found two unique stone heads in a shallow area of the lake. Such sacred sacrifices are believed to have been attempted to reconcile with the angry spirits from the depths of the lake. Unique finds are stored in the Trakai History Museum.
Photo of Trakai / Trakai Tourist Information Center
The castles that were on the islands of the lake in later historical stages were replaced by sanctuaries. Trakai has not lost its sacred character today: more than 40 large and small wooden angels greet the sky on the Hill of Angels, founded by a civic and spiritual community and frequented by travelers, and the unique beauty of the forests and waters. opens from the hill. . After visiting this place, you will realize how powerful and influential landscape therapy can be.
And a mysterious lake with no hidden treasures? Legend has it that when the Crusaders occupied the castle, they wanted to take the jewels of Duke Kęstutis’s family by boat and hide the seized property on the nearest island. When the old ship sank, the treasure remained at the bottom of Galvė, no one has found it until now. It is argued that only a non-sinful person will succeed in removing the treasure from Kęstutis, someone whose thrown coin has not drowned and will float on the surface of Lake Galvė. So why not give it a try? And the means of exploring the lake bottom are modern: you can observe the flora and fauna of the lake while swimming in transparent kayaks.
The Trakai Lakes are not only rich in history and legends. In its deepest depths, fed by groundwater, the mysterious Seliava, a fish in the salmon family, has been flying for a long time, feeding on the zooplankton that live in the depths. Only experienced and skilled anglers can catch this fish. The seliava is an especially tasty fish, it is cooked with vegetables in breadcrumbs, baked and salted. Tasting celery prepared according to an authentic recipe is the dream of many gourmets, which can become a pleasant reality in Trakai.
Lake Trakai presents gifts and other pleasant moments and experiences, all you have to do is give in to the lure of the lakes and “ignite” your imagination. Diving, sightseeing, excursions, fishing, sailing – Trakai is a perfect tourist trap.
The guides do not carry out excursions on the lake, but a great opportunity to get to know the lake is to travel the new water route “Histories of the islands of Lake Galve”. All you have to do is rent a boat, paddle board or pedal boat and you will remember the lake’s 14 islands for a long time.
Photo of Trakai / Trakai Tourist Information Center
Water lovers are also invited to take a boat or kayak trip on Lake Vilkokšnis. The lake is interesting because its individual places have different names. The locals call Baluosiu the eastern part. This part is located on a large peninsula to the north of the lake, formed by shallow swamps, separated from the rest of the lake area. After descending the path from the hill, a concrete pipe runs through it, through which the Verknė River flows into Baluosi. It can be interesting to start a kayak trip in the spring, when the adults have not yet grown up.
Laima Balčytienė, director of the Trakai Tourist Information Center, is real: both old and young should feel the harmony of water and history. They are abundant around Trakai.
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