Kretinga Things to Do

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Brick Lutheran church was built just at the same square as Catholic church. Square is called "City hall square", as in old times there was such type building, later simply destroyed. This church was built in 1896 - 1899.

It is a fact, that West and North Lithuania was also place of Lutheran minority people, who built their own churches, so Kretinga is one of rare small towns, where Catholic and Lutheran church are together (as also Birzai, Kedainiai).

Wooden sundial is a part of Kretinga botanical garden that is one of the biggest in Lithuania. Sundial shows an old way how to fix time and know about astrology of older time.

At first it was hard to recognize strange objects around spacious territory, but later investigated it and read in travel guide.

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Kretinga cemetery and its neo Gothic chapel is one of the landmarks. Few centuries ago cemetery was called "Church cemetery" and used to bury famous people. In end of 19th century brick wall was built, cemetery was separated by Vilniaus street.

Chapel is engineered by Swedish origin architect Carl Strandman. Nowadays it houses only a few bodies of famous Tiskeviciai family members, who put their energy to Kretinga city as well. Bodies were highly damaged in Soviet times; cemetery was filled by newer monument stones.

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Kretinga park and minor is known from 17th century, it was possession of landowner Zubov. In the second half of the 19th century it was bought by Juozapas Tiskevicius, he converted park and palace to a style that survived these days. Only Soviet times were bad for this place, till time (1992) when everything was taken over by Kretinga museum.

Nowadays palace houses museum mostly associated with Kretinga history and Tiskeviciai. One of interesting parts of museum is old orangery, you could see exotic plants whole year here. Orangery is also place for coffee "Pas grafa"

Park is a nice place to walk, but still needs more to restore till its glory of 19th century.
Entrance to palace museum is around 2 Euros, price consist also entrance to a mill museum.

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This church is quite famous in Lithuanian seaside region, as it is quite historical, spacious, and high. Summer weekend time is wedding time here.

It was built in very beginning of 17th century by landowner of Kretinga Karolis Chodkevicius. He was well known general, who won battle against Swedes (Salaspils).

Church was constructed in Renaissance and Baroque styles, and was used by Franciscan monks for long time. Church was more or less reconstructed in the 20th century, as Second World War damaged main tower. Take a look at nice carving for entrance doors.

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Water mill stands just after you cross Vilniaus street from Tiskeviciai palace side. First mill in Kretinga is known from 16th century, later in end of 18th century this one was build, but after almost 100 years it was highly modernized and was known as first hydroelectric power station in Lithuania.

Nowadays it housed a museum of mill objects and an exhibition about Lithuanian ethnography. I especially loved masks of Uzgavenes celebration. It is a celebration to invite spring and hound out winter season.

Orvidu sodyba is a private museum. Kazimieras Orvidas was the foundator of this museum. Together woth his son Kazimieras transported stones and trees with interesting shapes into his grange and created various sculptures and monuments from them. After the death of the grange owner, his son also named Kazimieras took care of the place. He was a monk - brother Gabriel.

During the soviet times Orvidu sodyba was ignored and destructed several times. But Orvidai haven't given up and at about 1990 the grange was very well known in Lithuania and
behind its borders.

Today Palmyra ir Liudvikas Beniusiai take care of this original and unique place in Lithuania. Also there is a private museum of Orvidu family. There is a small entrance fee into it.