Trakų Vokė Manor

Trakų Vokė manor homestead is one of the three manors of the city of Vilnius. The unique architectural monument and the well-kept park located here recall the times of the Counts Tiškevičiai. The Trakų Vokė manor homestead was formed in the 19th century. in the first half, when Count Juozapas Tiškevičius (1805-1844) bought the Dombrovskii mansion from the then owners. Initially, it was the summer residence of the Tiškevičius family, but later, when the counts decided to settle here permanently, the manor palace was built.

They were designed by the Italian architect Leandras Liudvikas Markonis (1834-1919), who, at the request of the owners, designed the ornate palace in Trakų Vokė according to the model of the residence of the Warsaw kings. The two-story palace was decorated with eight sculptures, the porch was decorated with a plaster panel with the coat of arms of the Lelyvas of the Tiškevičius family, which can still be seen today. The inside of the mansion also shone with luxury – valuable paintings on the walls, furniture made to order abroad, marble fireplaces warmed the rooms, and crystal chandeliers spread light.

In 1892 Count Jonas Juozapas (1867-1903), who inherited the Trakų Vokė manor, hired the famous landscape architect Eduardas François Andre (1840-1911) to design the manor park. The same architect designed the parks of three more manors in Lithuania, also belonging to the Tiškevičiai family – Palanga, Užutrakis and Lentvaris. All four parks are heritage sites of landscape architecture of international significance. Today, walking around the park, we can see the preserved original elements of the park typical of E. Andre’s projects.

The family of Counts Tiškevičius owned the manor and resided there until the Second World War. In 1939, fearing the occupiers’ crackdown on the nobility, they retreated to the west. The manor, left without owners, fell into disrepair. The palace’s paintings, furniture, crystal chandeliers, and other valuable items were looted, and the exterior decoration was destroyed.

Today, the Trakų Vokė manor homestead welcomes visitors with a renewed palace, a well-kept garden, and walking paths. Excursions, education, exhibitions, concerts and other open and private events are held in the palace. It is also interesting that the interiors of the manor palace have been loved by filmmakers, so during the tours you can find out which details in the interior of the palace are authentic and which are just props left over from the last movie.

The estate is only 15 km from Vilnius city center. You can arrive by bus route 51 (Eduardo Andrė st.), train (Vokė st. and then a 15-minute walk through the park), bicycle or car.