Kaunas and Trakai Castle

Kaunas and Trakai Castle 

Trakai Island Castle, one of the top castles to see in Europe, located on an island on several significant trade routes although aficionados should be warned that much of it is ab=n early 20th century recreation on the ruins but based on originals plans and outlines.

A closer view of the bridge to the island.

Looking along the bridge.

The right hand tower.

The entrance. 

The left hand tower. 

Inside the entrance looking back at it.

One of the doors into one of the towers.

 

A detail of the covered walkways on top of the outer walls.

Beyond the outer courtyard is a wooden bridge and drawbridge across a moat to the Duke's own apartments.

The entrance and a full view of the tower.

    

                                       

Looking one way from the bridge...

 

...and the view from the other side of the bridge.

The inner courtyard as seen by visitors coming in over the wooden bridge...

...looking bak to the entrance and the tower above the entrance...

...one of the inner courtyard sides...

...and inside the palace, the throne room....

...which overlooks a large auditorium...

...and a detail of the brick work fanned vaulting.

Then it was back to the outer courtyard and a view of the buildings on the left of the entrance which houses many rooms which are used as exhibit rooms for thousands of the items held by the museum. Some were simply rooms to show off items but many had been recreated as they may have looked in Medieval times.

...and some one had to go and stand in an Iron Maiden which would have housed a petty criminal who would have had rotten eggs and cabbages thrown at him as he was wheeled through the streets of the ton.

 A view form the shoe of the island...

...and a couple of old style toilets on the western walls.