The Amber Road starts in Lithuania
 Not long ago in one of the most beautiful re sorts of Lithuania, in Nida, on
the Curo nian Spit at the Curonian Lagoon, an unusual landmark appeared.
It marks the beginning of the famous Amber Road, which in the Iron Age stretched from the
Baltic Sea shore across the whole Europe.
The idea to restore the historical Amber Road was cherished by the citizens of Nida
Virginija and Kazimieras Mizgiriai, owners of the Amber Museum gallery in Nida and
Vilnius. The Mizgiriai have collected much of historical evidence, proving that the Amber
Road in its time did not yield in its significance to the famous Silk Road from China to
Europe.
The amber was formed in the Baltic Region about 60 million years ago and reached even the
Roman Empire. The Romans considered amber jewelry articles and accessories as items of
luxury.
At the times of Emperor Neron, a little amber statue could be exchanged for a young strong
slave.
At the end of the nineteenth century German archaeologist Robert Klebs discovered an amber
treasure - 434 amulets of the New Stone Age - in Juodkrante village of the Curonian
Lagoon. The scientist described them in his book. The collection had been brought out from
Lithuania, and nothing had been known about it for a long time. Some years ago it became
clear that a part of Juodkrante Treasure was in Germany, some articles were shown in
exhibitions. Having heard about that, researchers of amber history Virginija and
Kazimieras Mizgiriai decided to restore the collection of Juodkrante Treasure, which had
disappeared from Lithuania. Restorer B.Kunkulienė basing on historical material produced
the copies of 203 articles.
The aim of the restoration of the Amber Road is to reflect the natural evolution connected
with amber, the culture and history of various nations. This Road along the Curonian
Lagoon should stretch up to the largest world amber-fields existing in Yantarnoye of the
Kaliningrad region.
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