the amber precious as a gold (about the amber route for children)

   It was a long, long time ago, in times when on the our sea shore, gleamed in the sun, large pieces of amber. Many hundreds of miles from the Baltic near another sea - called the Adriatic, there was the wealthy city of Aquileia. The city had its own port, and ships entered the river, with valuable things from distant countries.

But the city was most famous for manufacture beautiful ornaments made from amber, which was so expensive, that it was called the gold of the north. These talented people who made the beautiful things it was the craftsmen. One day, one of them, was supposed to make a bracelet for a overseas princess, he noticed that he doesn't have enough amber. So he went for help to a friend, who was a merchant and sold amber in the market place.  But unfortunately, also in his stores and warehouses lacked of the amber. The merchant thought for a moment and promised the craftsman that he'll set off for the amber, as soon as possible. And You must know, that the road northwards was long, because the amber route is a route from the warm Italy, from above the Adriatic Sea, across Europe, to the Baltic Sea coast, to our Polish beaches.

 

 

   And this is where the story begins, about the exedition. Merchants, which we may also call the tradesmen, packed various goods up into bags, so that to exchange for amber, which was called in our area: a burning or sun stone. They also took with them a map from a Roman emperor, with the cities, where they be able to stop, eat something or spend the night.

 

Via Norica

   You are surely curious about about, what the merchants had in their bags?, so, certainly delicate fabrics, decorations, glass beads from Aquileia and beautiful tableware. 

Or maybe You'll ask yet, whether these magnificent tradesmen were not afraid of being robbed along the way?  I can answer: well, in the territory of the empire, along the main roads, which were traveling merchants and soldiers were marching, the safety was guarded by the Roman army, so the travellers went without fear.

 

http://www.wienmuseum.at/

   The travel for the gold of the north wasn't easy, because not all roads were excellence. For example, sometimes had to pass through a marshes or look for an easier way between a mountains. 

And just brave merchants reached the highest mountains on the route, called the Alps. But the way is so narrow and steep, that they must to get their full bags take off the carts and loaded on beasts of burden: horses, donkeys and mules.

https://www.nms.si/en/plan-your-visit/locations/ad-pirum

   After overcoming the mountains, awaits them another obstacle, this time a river. Because to go further northwords for the amber, they must to cross the border river called the Danube. And in ancient times, a river crossing was not that easy, as walk across a bridge. The travellers had to look for a place on the river, where is shallow or almost without water. So, You will admit that such an expedition for amber was really dangerous. But my dears, we can breathe, because they done it!, the merchants crossed the river so carefully, that they didn't get wet their precious goods.

https://www.mautern-donau.at

On the other side of the river, the travellers found themselves in unknown areas, where lived barbarians, as the Romans called them. And in the further travel difficulty were dense forests, where they could get lost, or sometimes to be afraid of a bear.

The merchants they coped again, they asked the inhabitants of the forest village for a guide, who knew how to walk through the forest, and he led them convenient routes. The villagers also took care of the travellers’ safety, to protect them from robbers. And the amber route led the different ways: one could travel land or by stream or river. But most often they were field and forest roads or ordinary paths, well-trodden by the people and the animals.

   Uff, tradesmen finally reached over our sea, to go in the markets places and exchange the items brought from Italy, giving in return for Baltic amber, valued in the empire as gold.
After obtaining the amber, it's time to rest in the settlement, called the Trading Post. A solid palisade surrounds the village like a defensive wall, which ensures safety the inhabitants, merchants and valuable trade goods.

Before setting out on the way back to the South, the merchants are checking else, whether their horses are doing well, if everything is alright. It turns out, however, that one of the horses lost its shoe and he needs to be taken to the blacksmith, who lives here. At the the blacksmith’s workshop they meet a local amber craftsman, called here an bursztyniarz, who lives next door. He takes the merchants to his hut and show them workshop, and items that come out his hand. 

This local amber craftsmen has extraordinary capacity. The merchants are so surprised and at the same time delighted with his beautiful amber jewellery, that they invite him to Italy, to the court of the Emperor himself and gladiatorial games. They even give him their map, so that he could travel with ease around the Roman state.

And our brave merchants, though without a map, but with bags full of amber, happily returned to Aquileia, replenishing their stores of amber.

 

 

As for the amber craftsman, we don't know whether he went to Italy, but  in Pruszcz Gdański and the surrounding area, there's a legend about an amber treasure that was hidden under an acacia tree, upon hearing about the approaching invaders...

 

if you want to listen about the amber route in Polish - click

 I would like to ask for information regarding translation errors, thank You