The church and cloister covering the remains of the old castle
Senieji Trakai (literally: "Old" Trakai) is a historic Lithuanian village located 3 km east of Trakai, with 1500 inhabitants. The village nowadays is inhabited by Lithuanians, Poles and Russians. The railway Vilnius-Warsaw passes through Senieji Trakai.
The central part of the village is proclaimed an architectural reserve. The main street is dominated by uniform wooden houses, facing it with two-windowed sides.
History
Grand Duke Gediminas innitialy transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai (today's Senieji Trakai) and erected his brick castle here before 1321 in an empty place. In 1337 it became a seat of newly established Duchy of Trakai. Gediminas' son Kęstutis erected a new castle in New Trakai (today's Trakai). Kęstutis' son Vytautas was born in Old Trakai in 1350.
The castle in Senieji Trakai was destroyed by Teutonic Order in 1391. The ruins of the castle were gifted to Benedictian monks by Vytautas in 1405. It is supposed that the present monastery building dating from the 15th century holds the remains of the Gediminas' castle.
The Trakai name, derived from Lithuanian: trakas - "the glade", suggests that the castle was built in a hollow area after deforestation.
