The Kretinga Manor Park Waterfall Cave

In 1875, having acquired the manor, Count Juozapas Tiškevičius started the reconstruction of the farmstead and park. It was him and his family who ordered the construction of the three cascade-like ponds in 1878. The ponds were built in the northern part of the park and were based on the project of Jonas Šostakas.

The water ran from the third pond into the second one, and from there it continued into the first pond. A stone waterfall grotto was built at the right bank of the Kretinga Manor Park Pond. The water from the second pond used to travel through a system of pipes to the waterfall and into the first pond.

Two elegant wooden arch-bridges over the pond lead towards the waterfall. The bridge and the waterfall cave were lit at night during family holidays or when honourable guests were visiting the Count’s Manor.

During the land reform in 1925, 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. The decreased income of Aleksandras Tiškevičius made it difficult to maintain the manor farmstead, especially the park. The abandoned overflown ponds have broken down the mounds and the cascaded pond and waterfall system was ruined. The waterfall cave turned into stone and brick ruins.

Source: Kretingos enciklopedija