Utena

Utena is first documented in 1261. It was a provincial capital and market town which grew from the 1830s when the St Petersburg-Warsaw highway was built this way, now the A6. It industrialised, and was rebuilt in stone after two fires ravaged its wooden structures in the 1890s. Utena was occupied by Germany from 1915 to 1918 then by the Soviets until 1919. It had a Jewish population of 2000 until 1941, when the Nazis wiped them out. Since World War II the town industries have been food processing, brewing, knitware and engineering.

Tourist information centre is at Bažnyčios g 1, just off Utenio Aikštė the main square, open M-F 09:00-18:00.

Utena is 92 km north of Vilnius, take A14 north past Molėtai. From Kaunas take A6 northeast past Ukmergė; this road continues to Zarasai and across the border to Daugavpils in Latvia.

Buses from Vilnius run every hour or two, taking 1 hr 40 min via Molėtai and continuing to either Obeliai and Rokiškis, or to Kupiškis and Biržai, or to Zarasai.

From Kaunas three direct buses daily take 2 hr 30 min, otherwise go via Vilnius. For times and fares see Autobusu Bilieitai.

1 Autobusų stotis the bus station is on A Baranausko g, 500 west of town centre.