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 1950. In the interbellum period, the town was annexed by Poland, known then as Orany. It was located near then Polish-Lithuanian border, in the Wilno-Troki County (Powiat wileńsko-trocki) of the Wilno Voivodeship. Following the joint Nazi and Soviet attack on Poland, Varėna was taken by Lithuania.
After the 1970s the town grew rapidly following industrialization. Currently there are 10,555 residents in Varėna. Varėna district is the largest and most forested region in Lithuania.
In 1946 around 2000 Poles were forced to leave for Poland.
Read more about this topic: Varėna
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