Utena

Utena lies in northeastern Lithuania, a landscape of lakes and woodland. Its name is recorded in 1261, and the settlement was an important centre of the historical region of Nalšia. It belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until the partition of 1795 brought it under Russian rule.

A new road between Saint Petersburg and Warsaw, built in 1830–1835, encouraged the town's growth. A post station with lodging and stables followed in 1835–1836, making Utena a stopping place for travellers on the route.