Amber Road

The Amber Road (in Lithuanian: Gintaro kelias; Polish: Szlak Bursztynowy, Jantarowy Szlak; in Czech: Jantarová stezka; in German: Bernsteinstraße; in Hungarian: Borostyánút; in Russian: Янтарный путь; in Italian: Via dell'Ambra.) was an ancient trade route for the transfer of amber. As one of the waterways and ancient highways, for centuries the road led from Europe to Asia and back, and from northern Europe to the Mediterranean.

A vital component of ornamental objects, amber was transported from the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts overland by way of the Vistula and Dnieper rivers to Italy, Greece, the Black Sea, and Egypt long before the birth of Jesus, and long after.

In Roman times, a main route ran south from the Baltic coast in Prussia through the land of the Boii (modern Bohemia) to the head of the Adriatic Sea. The Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun had Baltic amber among his burial goods, and amber was sent from the North Sea to the temple of Apollo at Delphi as an offering. From the Black Sea, trade could continue to Asia along the Silk Road, another ancient trade route.

The Prussian towns of Kaup and Truso on the Baltic were the starting points of the route to the south. In Scandinavia the amber road probably gave rise to the thriving Nordic Bronze Age culture, bringing influences from the Mediterranean Sea to the northernmost countries of Europe.

Overview of known amber finding places in Europe

Amber roads have been connecting Amber finding locations to customer sites in Europa, in the Middle East regions and in the Far East.

Overview of known amber roads by country

Central Europe

The shortest (and possibly oldest) road avoids alpine areas and led from the Baltic coastline (Estland) through Poland, passed the Moravian Gate in Czech Republic, followed the river Morava to Austria, crossed the Danube near Carnuntum, heading southwards down to Aquileia at the Adriatic coast.

Germany

Several roads connected the North Sea (Nordsee) and East Sea (Ostsee), especially the city of Ambur (now Hamburg) to the Brenner Pass ("Burner"-pass), proceeding southwards to Brindisi (Brundisium) in Italy and Ambracia (Greece). (See map at right)

Switzerland

The Swiss region indicates a number of alpine roads, concentrating around the capital city Bern and probably originating from the borders of the Rhône River and the Rhine.

The Netherlands

A small section, including Baarn, Barneveld, Amersfoort and Amerongen, and connected the North Sea with the Lower Rhine.

Belgium

A small section, led southwards from Antwerp (Spanish name: "Amberes") and Bruges to the towns Braine-l’Alleud and Braine-le-Comte, both originally named "Brennia-Brenna" (Latin: “Burner”). The route have continued by following the Meuse River towards Bern in Switzerland.

France

Three routes may be identified leading from an amber finding location called Brenne at the mouth of river Loire towards Bresse and Bern, crossing the Alps to Switzerland and Italy.

Southern France and Spain

Routes are connecting the amber finding locations at Ambares (near Bordeaux), leading to Béarn and the Pyrenees. Routes are connecting the amber finding locations in northern Spain and in the Pyrenees as a trading route to the Mediterranean Sea.

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