The Kretinga Manor Park

From the 16th until the beginning of the 17th century, the Kretinga Manor was surrounded by minor greenery, which not only protected against the wind that was blowing from the seaside, but also offered a vast area of shade.

In 1778, Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis organised the planting of a large fruit tree garden in the south-western part of the territory, in front of the mansion, and to plant linden trees along the road connecting the manor and the church.

Starting in 1795, Count Potockis took control of the Kretinga Manor and expanded the fruit tree garden. In the beginning of the 19th century, during the rule of Zubovas, a very picturesque park was built between the mansion and the garden. In 1839, it, along with Gagrždai, Plungė, Rietavas, and Šateikiai parks, was recognised as one of the most beautiful English-style parks in the Telšiai region.

In 1879, Count Juozapas Tiškevičius has called together the best foreign specialists to help in the reconstruction and maintenance of the park. A French-style garden was built next to the mansion, while the other side was the location of the English-style park with ponds. One of the best park architects, Johann Larass, who also worked in Western and Eastern Prussia, was also responsible for two designs within the Kretinga Manor Park. Ludwig Haiduk, a Hungarian mansion musician, who studied horticulture in Germany, was tasked with the reconstruction of the representative part of the park, which stood in front of the mansion. He was responsible for forming greenery and flower gardens. It is believed that Édouard André, a French landscape designer, was also involved in the reconstruction of the park.

The park acquired characteristics that are typical of French parks and its design was geometric. The park was divided by little-leaf linden tree alleyways into 4 rectangles, in the middle of which stood a fountain with a statue on it. A wooden summerhouse with a dome-shaped roof and spire stood in the middle of the park, at the intersection where the alleyways met. An ornamented French-themed flower garden, rose plantation, fountain, and summerhouse under a chestnut tree were built in the parterre. During the summers, the summerhouse was the stage of Kazakh music bands, who were replaced by the mansion’s orchestra from 1882 until 1891.

The owner of the manor, Count Juozapas Tiškevičius, organised the construction of the three cascaded ponds and five fountains in the northern part of the park (in the Dupultis Valley). The sixth fountain was placed in the Winter Garden. In addition to that, elements of the park’s composition were improved and the garden was replanted and expanded. The works were carried out based on the projects of Jonas Šostakas. It is believed that Édouard André, a French landscape designer, was also involved in the prosperity of the park.

The Tiškevičius family grew Burgundy snails in park and a pheasant farm was also established built the first and the second ponds.

The park and fruit tree garden was called the Summer Garden. Townsfolk could go there for casual walks and to rest after the hard day’s work. The park served a representative function. The governor of Kaunas was a frequent visitor of the park. People from Eastern Prussia and Palanga resorts would also visit the Kretinga Manor Park because it was the only park that was close to the seaside (until ca. 1893-1897, when the Palanga Manor Park was built). Between the end of the 19th century and and the beginning of the 20th century, the Kretinga Manor Park was declared one of the most beautiful parks, not just by the Samogitians, but by Western Europeans.

In 1925, during the land reform, a part of the land that belonged to the Kretinga Manor was redistributed among the newly established farmers, while the rest of the land was nationalised. Following World War II, the Kretinga Sovkhoz moved into the mansion. The Manor Park was deforested, including the old memorial trees.

The Kretinga Museum was established in the mansion in 1992 and has been responsible for taking care of the park since then.

The Kretinga Manor Park is a state-protected cultural heritage. It belongs to the complex of the Kretinga Manor Farmstead.

Source: Kretingos enciklopedija