Zarasai is a city in northeastern Lithuania, surrounded by many lakes and rivers: to the southwest of the city is Lake Zarasas, to the north – Lake Zarasaitis, to the southeast – Lake Baltas, and the east – Lake Griežtas. Lakes Zarasaitis and Griežtas are connected by the River Laukesa. Zarasai holds the record for the highest recorded daytime temperature in Lithuania at 37.5 C on 30 July 1994. A few music festivals are held in Zarasai in summer, such as Mėnuo Juodaragis and Roko naktys.
The name of Zarasai is of Selonian origin. Lithuanian linguist Kazimieras Būga explained its origins – in Selonian language the word lake was pronounced as ezeras or ezaras, plural form ezerasai. During the time it was shortened to Zarasai. In Polish, the town was known since the first third of the 16th century as Jeziorosy, from jezioro meaning 'lake'. In 1836, the town was renamed Novoalexandrovsk in honor of Tsar Nicholas I's son Alexander. This name was maintained until 1918. From 1919 to 1929, in the newly independent Lithuania, the town was called Ežerėnai, from ežeras, the Lithuanian word for lake. The Yiddish name Ezherene is derived from Ežerėnai. The current Lithuanian name Zarasai was adopted only in 1929.