Rietavas Things to Do

If you're a fan of visiting history and culture museums, this one is just for you. People collected lots of stuff telling about rich Rietavas history of 750 years. Many great inventions happened in Rietavas - like the first electricity lamp was lit and the first phone call was made in Rietavas thanks to dukes' Oginskiai family.

10 years ago Rietavas people got interested in rebuilding at least a part of duke Oginskiai mansion. Archaeological discoveries let us think that the mansion was just right in the place near the park where the hospital stands nowadays. The workers of Rietavas history museum initiated the rebuilding of these columns as the sign of the main entrance to duke Oginskiai palace...
People like to come here for photos..

Can you believe that? I couldn't.. Well, I know it was 400 years since first school was established in Rietavas in the year I graduated, but I was surprised to hear that my special town has 750 years of history... St.Petersburg was celebrating 300 years this spring.. And Stockholm was celebrating 750 last year (if I'm not mistaken).. So it's really an old town with huge history.
On June 21st we will have there a superb festival with various music performances, fireworks, local crafts market etc. You definitely must be there!:)

Rietavas has sign of lion on it's blazon, so you can see sculptures of lions at least in couple places in the town. The biggest ones are at the entrance gates to Oginskiai park. They used to be golden, but nowadays it's just "golden" colour..:)

Rietavas is fond of its Oginskiai park. Hundred years ago it was a big and beautiful park featuring rare species of plants from many foreign countries. Duke Oginskis was keen on botanics and agriculture, so he cultivated the park with love and devotion. After Lithuania regained it's independence, people of Rietavas decided to arrange, clean and make the park look beautiful and desired place for walking, weekend rest and family holidays.

In such little towns like Rietavas, church has always been the main place for meeting people, hearing the gossips as well as the main "tourist" point. Rietavas church belongs to neo-romantic style and has beautiful interior as well as one of the largest musical organs in Lithuania. The history says, these organs were made by some famous organ-master and was ordered by dukes Oginskiai who ruled over Rietavas in XVIII-XIX centuries.