Lietuvos atviras žiemos plaukimo čempionatas

Gliding through the freezing surface of Lake Galvė brings swimmers directly against the backdrop of Trakai Castle. Known as the Lietuvos atviras žiemos plaukimo čempionatas and also organized under the title Lietuvos atviro žiemos plaukimo varžybos, this open water winter swimming championship takes place in the icy lake waters off Karaimų street in Trakai, Lithuania. Competitors assemble during the cold depths of February, stepping right across from the medieval island stronghold. The competition offers courses tailored to different levels of cold-water tolerance, spanning sprint distances of 25, 50, and 100 meters up to 200, 450, and an endurance test of 1,000 meters. To welcome newcomers and team spirits, organizers also introduced a dedicated category designed purely for fun alongside a 25x100 relay.

Organized by the Lietuvos sveikuolių sąjunga, the gathering emphasizes camaraderie, testing personal limits, strengthening natural immunity, and overcoming instinctual fears in freezing water. Stepping shoulder to shoulder into the cut pool, swimmers quickly discover a deep sense of belonging within the international winter swimming community. As soon as swimmers touch the finish pad and climb out, lakeside saunas and hot tubs provide immediate warmth on the shore.

Lake Galvė: tunnel valleys, glacial depths, and 21 islands

Beneath the winter swim lanes lies a freshwater basin shaped by ancient geological movements, as Lake Galvė was carved out as a deep subglacial tunnel valley. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 46.7 meters in its eastern section, distinguishing it as the deepest water body in a district famous for containing 200 separate lakes. Looking down into the dark water, swimmers push through a pristine natural basin. Lake Galvė is dotted with 21 islands that cover a combined area of 15.15 hectares. The surrounding expanse of water and wooded shores is recognized as a natural heritage of exceptional importance, safeguarded within the Lake Galvė hydrographic reserve. Many of these 21 islands are steeped in local folklore and history, creating a scenic maze of channels and bays.

The 25-metre ice swim and a five-lake circuit

The Trakai organisers announced their 2024 competition as the seventh year in a row of 25-metre ice-hole (eketė) swimming races on Lake Galvė. Everyone who completes the 25 metres in the Trakai ice swim receives a medal, prize winners receive gifts, and swimmers have a place in a heated changing tent. A 25-metre For Fun swim is held without time recording, in the gaps between the other swims, and without division into age groups. Lake Galvė is one of five Trakai lakes, with Skaistis, Totoriškės, Bernardinai and Nerespinka, that a local resident swam non-stop in a single 22.5 km swim lasting 11 hours 31 minutes.

Castle Island and Bažnytėlė: medieval fortresses and submerged bridges

The centerpiece of this island network is Pilies Island, which covers an area of 2.2 hectares. In the 14th century, Grand Duke Kęstutis constructed the Island Castle here by joining three smaller natural islets using 1.6 to 1.7 meters of infill soil. The resulting fortification occupies approximately 2.15 hectares of the island, standing as one of the few authentic medieval castles in Northern and Eastern Europe built entirely on an island. The cultural reserve also encompasses the historic remains of a 14th-century peninsula castle situated on a land spit extending into the southern sector of Lake Galvė. During the height of the Grand Duchy, the island stronghold hosted grand diplomatic gatherings, including a notable summit in 1477 when King Casimir IV received Venetian envoys within its brick halls.

Just 50 meters southeast of Karaimų Island sits the smaller islet of Bažnytėlė. Underwater archaeological investigations carried out in 1996 brought to light submerged wooden bridge piles preserved beneath the lake bed. These ancient timbers mark the foundations of an original four-meter-wide bridge that once spanned the water between Bažnytėlė and Karaimų Island.

Trakai Historical National Park: interconnected channels and marshland reserves

The town of Trakai itself is a city built on water, wrapped completely by the interconnected basins of lakes Luka, Totoriškės, Galvė, Akmena, and Gilušis. These aquatic landscapes are preserved within the Trakai Historical National Park. To the east, a narrow channel links the confluence of Lake Galvė and Lake Luka with Nerespinka lake. Cadastre records from 2019 count Nerespinka as part of Lake Luka, spanning 0.67 kilometers in length and 0.25 kilometers in width at an altitude of 148.7 meters above sea level. Its low, swampy shores are overgrown with aquatic vegetation, leading gently toward the ancient Varnikai mound rising along its eastern bank. Within the boundaries of the national park also lies Akis lake, a compact water body measuring 0.12 kilometers long and 0.1 kilometers wide at an elevation of 148.9 meters.

Akis features flat, swampy shores fringed by trees, bushes, and dense aquatic plants, connecting outward to Lake Lukna. About 4.5 kilometers north of Trakai, near the village of Totoriškės, sits Vėžio akis, an endorheic lake belonging to the Galvė basin. Measuring 0.12 kilometers by 0.07 kilometers at an altitude of 143.6 meters, it is surrounded by relatively high banks lined with dense forest and shrubs. Plomėnai Lake has an oval shape measuring 0.42 kilometers long and 0.35 kilometers wide. Reaching a maximum depth of 4.5 meters, its low, marshy banks form the eastern portion of the Plomėnai wetland, where a small stream filters eastward into Lake Totoriškės. This protected wetland constitutes the Plomėnai Ornithological Reserve.

Karaimų shoreline: promenades, wooden bridges, and waterfront life

Back at the event site along Karaimų street, everyday life revolves around the water's edge. The Karaim Bridge spans the narrow strait connecting Lake Galvė with Lake Totoriškės. Parallel to the shore runs a manicured promenade designed for quiet strolls and open views over the island-dotted waters. Throughout the year, this shoreline serves as a lively center for water tourism, housing equipment docks for rowing boats, water cycling, and freshwater diving. The promenade regularly hosts city celebrations, open-air festivals, and evening spectacles featuring music and light displays over the water.