Lankytinos vietos

Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės paveldas, senovės kelių ir kelionių istorija

Keliaujame istoriniu Karaliaučiaus keliu. Vilniaus kapitulos archyve saugomas 1784 m. parengtas išsamus šio kelio aprašymas, tarp Vilniaus universiteto bibliotekos rankraščių – 1800 m. žemėlapis. IX–XIV a. archeologijos paminklų pakelėje 1929 m. tarp Aluonos ir Šklėrių surastas vienas didžiausių pirmųjų lietuviškų monetų ir Čekijos karaliaus Vaclovo IV grašių lobis rodo, kad šiuo keliu buvo keliaujama dar priešistoriniais ir ankstyvaisiais istoriniais laikais.
XV–XVII a. iš Vilniaus arba į jį vedė ne mažiau kaip 27 keliai. Dirbamais laukais pro Bedugnę, per Užtrakio ir Šklėrių miškus vingiuojantis siauras, vietomis duobėtas Karaliaučiaus kelias per amžius beveik nepasikeitė! Čia galima ne tik įsivaizduoti, bet ir patiems pabūti senovės keliautojų (valdovų, karių ir pirklių) vietoje.

Heritage of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy, the history of old roads and trips

A 24-kilometre walking and cycling route from Senieji Trakai to Rūdiškės train station. Along the route you will visit the place where the castle of the great 14th century Dukes of Lithuania and Trakai once stood in Senieji Trakai. The legendary part of the Lithuanian Chronicles describes how Grand Duke Gediminas transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Senieji Trakai and, later, to Vilnius. Senieji Trakai castle’s moat, steep slopes and castle’s spacious ward stand as witnesses of the old times. In the 15th century Vytautas the Great granted the ruins of the old castle to Benedictine monks who built a monastery and the first parish church there.
Recently, a burial site of the warriors of Grand Duke Gediminas was discovered in the mystical hill of Bedugnė village, and archaeological research was started. The dead were cremated there together with their splendid weapons, armoury, jewellery and other grave goods. Pieces of charcoal and potsherds bespeak the old Lithuanian rituals.
The remaining part of the route from Bedugnė goes along the historic road from Vilnius to Karaliaučius. The road has changed very little from what it was centuries ago: the narrow and bumpy road winds through cultivated fields, and the forests of Užutrakis and Šklėriai. It is easy to imagine yourself in the shoes of historic travellers – rulers, warriors and merchants.
In Strakiškės, you can visit the Kupa homestead, owned by the Kasperavičiai family, where you will find all you need to know about bees and herbs; exclusive skin care products and special honey and herb mixtures that boost the immune system are made on site.
Strakiškės village is a witness to the 1547-1557 reform of agriculture and settlements of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy, which was initiated by Queen Bona Sforza. Landownership still resembles those times – with the cultivation of narrow long strips of land, – and the typical layout of the village on both sides of the road remains.
The burial mounds close to the village Aluona were made around the 9th–10th centuries. The cremated dead were buried there together with sacrificed horses. In the old times bonfires were burnt in the ditches surrounding the mounds on All Saints day. It is a remembrance place for the tribe of Lithuanians – the creators of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy.
In those times Rūdiškės was on the outskirts of the forest next to the Karaliaučius road, at the source of the River Cirvija. From the 17th–18th century, or maybe earlier, there were two taverns there: one for the village and one for the manor. Their existence is confirmed in historical maps and documents. There is also data on the old graveyard of Rūdiškės. The market town was growing rapidly. The Jewish community actively fostered local services, trade and economics.