Route from the Varangians to the Greeks: Route Map and History
River route used by Scandinavian traders and warriors from the Baltic down the Dnieper to the Black Sea and Constantinople. It shaped the rise of Kievan Rus'.
Open the Route from the Varangians to the Greeks in the interactive map
Key facts
| Active | AD 800 – 1100 (approximate) |
| Length shown on the map | about 2,900 km |
| Main stops | 5 |
Stops along the Route from the Varangians to the Greeks
| Stop | Ruled by in AD 800 | Ruled by in AD 900 | Ruled by in 1000 | Ruled by in 1100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birka | Swedes and Goths | Swedes and Goths | Sweden | Sweden |
| 2 | Novgorod | Rus' Khaganate | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' |
| 3 | Smolensk | Slavonic tribes | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' |
| 4 | Kyiv | Slavonic tribes | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' | Kievan Rus' |
| 5 | Constantinople | Byzantine Empire | Byzantine Empire | Byzantine Empire | Byzantine Empire |
The route is drawn schematically through its main stops; real caravans and ships used many variants. The state columns come from the border maps closest to each year.
Other trade routes
- Silk Road · 130 BC–1450
- Maritime Silk Road · 100 BC–1500
- Incense Route · 500 BC–AD 200
- Persian Royal Road · 500 BC–330 BC
- Amber Road · 100 BC–AD 400
- Trans-Saharan Route (western) · AD 300–1600
- Trans-Saharan Route (central) · AD 600–1900
- Hanseatic trade route · 1250–1600
- Cape Route to India · 1498–1869
- Atlantic triangular trade · 1520–1867
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.