Trakai Island Castle Museum in Trakai, Lithuania

© Andrius Aleksandravicius/Alam

Fortress of solitude. The island castle of Trakai

Our homepage castle might look like something out of a fairy tale but it can be found in one of the larger islands of Lake Galvé in the historic Lithuanian city of Trakai. Construction on this fortress was started in the 14th century by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and completed years later by his son. It served as a strategic and bustling centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a former European state. Like much architecture from so long ago, the castle was damaged and fell into disrepair, only to be reconstructed and reopened as a museum. These days it’s known as one of Europe’s most striking medieval castles.