[[Image:Rota do âmbar.jpg|thumb|250px|The Amber Route.]]
The '''Amber Road''' ({{lang-cs|Jantarová stezka}}; {{lang-de|Bernsteinstraße}}; {{lang-hu|Borostyánút}}; {{lang-it|Via dell'Ambra}}; {{lang-lt|Gintaro kelias}}; {{lang-pl|Szlak Bursztynowy}} or ''Jantarowy Szlak''; {{lang-ru|Янтарный путь}}) 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 Sea|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 river|Dnieper]] rivers to [[Italy]], [[Greece]], the [[Black Sea]], and [[Egypt]] thousands of years ago, and long after.

In [[Roman Empire|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 [[Old Prussians|Prussian]] towns of [[Mokhovoye|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.

Sometimes the [[Kaliningrad Oblast]] is called the Янтарный край, which means the Amber region.

==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.

[[Image:Amber_sources_in_Europe.jpg|thumb|250px|Amber finding locations in Europe.]]

==Overview of known amber roads by country==

===Central Europe===

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

===Germany===
[[Image:German Amber Roads.gif|thumb|right|250px|Amber Roads in Germany.]]
Several roads connected the [[North Sea]] (Nordsee) and [[Baltic Sea|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, 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.

== External links ==
*[http://www.amberroad.net Amber Road]
*[http://www.ciolek.com/OWTRAD/DATA/tmcZCEm0100.html OWTRAD-scientific description of the amber road in Poland]
*[http://www.ciolek.com/owtrad.html Old World Traditional Trade Routes (OWTRAD) Project]
*[http://www.american.edu/TED/amber.htm Amber route along the river Elbe]
* [http://www.joannesrichter.homepage.t-online.de/Androgyn/SpellingTUI.pdf Joannes Richter - "Spelling Thee, U & I - Introducing into the art of amber trading & Initiation in the great Androgyne Religion"] (pdf file)
* [http://www.joannesrichter.homepage.t-online.de/Androgyn/Bernsteinrouten_BK.pdf Joannes Richter - "Die Bernsteinroute bei Backnang"] (pdf file)

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{{Trade route 2}}
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[[Category:trade routes]]
[[Category:History of Europe]]
[[Category:Prehistory of Poland (until 966)]]
[[Category:History of Prussia]]

[[cs:Jantarová stezka]]
[[de:Bernsteinstraße]]
[[fr:Route de l'ambre]]
[[hu:Borostyánút]]
[[nl:Barnsteenroute]]
[[pl:Szlak bursztynowy]]
[[pt:Rota do Âmbar]]
[[sk:Jantárová cesta (história)]]
[[fi:Pronssikauden meripihkakauppa]]
[[sl:Jantarjeva pot]]
[[sv:Bärnstensvägen]]
[[zh:琥珀之路]]