Senoji Varėna Explained

Senoji Varėna
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Lithuania
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Senoji Varėna
Pushpin Label Position:left
Coordinates:54.25°N 57°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Ethnographic region
Subdivision Name1:Dzūkija
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2: Alytus County
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Varėna district municipality
Subdivision Type4:Eldership
Subdivision Name4:Varėna eldership
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1413
Population Total:1,073
Population As Of:2021
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3

Senoji Varėna is an old village in Varėna district municipality, near Merkys River and Rivulet Varėnė confluence, 4 kilometers north of Varėna, on the road VilniusDruskininkai. The village was mentioned for the first time in Teutonic letters in the year 1413.

It was the hometown of the most famous Lithuanian painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.

Name origins

The village name comes from the Varėnė river which goes through it. There is a legend in folk stories that name Varėna comes from goddess Varėnė who was taking care of hunters and fishermen living by the river.