Kretynga is a city closely related to the history of important Polish noble families. The Chodkiewicz family had their seat here, and until World War II the owners were the Tyszkiewicz family, after which the palace surrounded by a park remained.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, one of the most important Polish commanders, founded a Bernardine monastery in Kretynga. It was a vote of thanks for the victory at the Battle of Kirholm. In the baroque church that has survived to this day, there is a crypt of the Chodkiewicz family and valuable period furnishings.
In the following centuries, Kretynga changed hands many times, until in 1875 it was bought by Józef Tyszkiewicz. He rebuilt the existing palace and connected it with a huge orangery. Due to its size and design with a waterfall, artificial grottoes and ponds, it was famous all over Europe. Today, the remains of it is the Winter Garden. The Kreting Museum operates in the Tyszkiewicz Palace.
