Varėna

For the city in Iran, see Varamin. For the comune in Italy, see Varena, Trentino.

Varėna
City
City clock
Coat of arms of Varėna Coat of arms
Varėna is located in Lithuania Varėna Location of Varėna
Coordinates:
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Dzūkija
County	Alytus County
Municipality	Varėna district municipality
Capital of	Varėna district municipality Varėna eldership
First mentioned	1377
Granted city rights	1946
Population (2011)
• Total	9,240
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

Varėna () (Polish: Orany) is a city in Dzūkija, Lithuania.

History

The town was founded in 1862 near the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway, 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Sena Varėna (Old Varėna). At that time it was a small settlement, but following steady development it eventually became the center of the district. In the interbellum period, following World War I, the town was annexed by Poland, and renamed Orany. It was located near the then Polish-Lithuanian border, in the Wilno-Troki County (Powiat wileńsko-trocki) of the Wilno Voivodeship. In 1939, following the German-Soviet Invasion of Poland, Varėna was returned to Lithuania. In 1946 around 2000 Poles were repatriated to Poland.

Following industrialization in the 1970s, the town grew rapidly. Currently there are 9,240 residents in Varėna. The Varėna district is the largest and most forested region in Lithuania.

Gallery

• 

  Municipality building

• 

  Pedestrian February 16 st.

• 

  Library

• 

Famous people

Lithuanian painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was born in Sena Varėna in 1875.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Twin towns — Sister cities

Varėna is twinned with:

• Mikołajki, Poland

External links

• The murder of the Jews of Varėna during World War II, at Yad Vashem website.