Did you know that in Pruszcz Gdański there is a place where you can go back in time almost 2000 years and learn about the history of amber trade on the route connecting the Baltic Sea with the Roman Empire?
This is a factory - an extraordinary museum that recreates the life and culture of people living on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
Faktoria is also a cultural center where concerts, theater performances and workshops for children take place. If you are looking for an interesting and educational way to spend your free time, we invite you to visit the trading post in Pruszcz Gdański.
In this article, I will tell you about the attractions that await you in the trading post and how to get there.
Let's go?
Pruszcz Gdański - a witness of many civilizations and cultures
Faktoria is the name given by archaeologists to a trading settlement that existed in Pruszcz Gdański in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. It was one of the most important stations on the amber route, which connected the shores of the Baltic Sea with the areas of the Roman Empire. Amber was a valued raw material and an object of trade, cultural and diplomatic exchange.
The factory housed craft workshops, warehouses, residential houses, and temples. People of different nationalities and religions lived here. Celts, Germans, Slavs, Romans and Greeks.
In Faktoria Handlowa in Pruszcz Gdański, you can see reconstructions of buildings and objects from the era that recreate the climate and atmosphere of the former settlement.
You can also admire original archaeological finds, such as coins, ornaments, dishes and tools. Among them are unique treasures, such as a golden amber bracelet or a Roman Weisenau helmet.
In Faktoria, you can also take part in workshops and live archeology shows that will bring you closer to everyday life and customs of people from that period.
How did amber connect the Baltic Sea with Rome? Learn the secrets of the trading post in Pruszcz Gdański
If you want to find out who were the first inhabitants and traders in the area of Pruszcz Gdański, you have to go back in time by over 4000 years. Traces of various civilizations that inhabited the area from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age have been found in archaeological sites.
Among them were Celts, Germans and Slavs. Many valuable items such as ornaments, tools, weapons and iron smelting furnaces were excavated from their graves and settlements.
But that's not all. Pruszcz Gdański was also an important point on the amber route that connected the Baltic Sea with the Roman Empire. For centuries, merchants from southern Europe came here to buy amber and other goods.
Some of them stayed here for longer and established trading settlements called trading posts. They exchanged not only material goods, but also culture and knowledge. There were also newcomers from the north - the Vikings, who sometimes came with peaceful intentions, and sometimes with a sword in their hands.
Amber was a valuable raw material that attracted merchants from the Roman Empire to Pruszcz Gdański. In exchange for it, they received various necessary items from the natives. Life in the trading settlement was varied and rich.
There were specialists in amber processing, pottery, carpentry, blacksmithing and weapons. Visitors could use the boat repair services here.
The settlement developed on or near earlier Bronze and Iron Age settlements. Archaeologists can distinguish graves from different periods. The trading settlement in Pruszcz Gdański was an important point on the amber route and one of the largest centers on the Baltic Sea.
Why was Pruszcz Gdański such an attractive place for settlers and merchants?
First of all, due to its convenient location. On the one hand, there was an upland with forests, separated from the settlements by the Radunia bend.
On the other hand, there was a lagoon with a connection to the Vistula and the sea. Radunia flowed into this lagoon, where Żuławy Gdańskie is today. All this created an excellent communication network. Added to this was the fertile land and the richness of nature. There was plenty of game to hunt and fish to catch.
Faktoria - a place where history meets the present
If you want to see what the life of people from 2,000 years ago looked like, we invite you to the Roman Trade Factory in Pruszcz Gdański. This is an unusual museum that recreates the climate and atmosphere of the former settlement. It is also a center of culture and recreation where you can have fun and relax.
The idea to create such a facility came from Janusz Wróbel, the mayor of Pruszcz Gdański. Despite some resistance, it was possible to implement it thanks to the financial support from the European Union funds.
Faktoria was established in 2008 as the International Baltic Cultural Park. It includes an amphitheater for about a thousand people, where concerts and theatrical performances for adults and children are held in the summer as part of Faktoria Kultury.
There is also a playground and a skate park. Faktoria is a favorite place for walks by families with children. It is located at the fork of Radunia and the Radunia Canal, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Faktoria Kultury - a place where art meets history
Faktoria is not only a museum, but also a cultural center where various artistic and educational events take place. As part of Faktoria Kultury, you can participate in concerts, theater performances and workshops for children.
The music scene features well-known and popular artists such as Roxie Węgiel, Raz Dwa Trzy, Voo Voo and Riverside. On the summer stage of the Wybrzeże Theater you can watch interesting plays such as Invincible, The Emigrants, Who is Mr. Schmitt? .
On the children's stage of Teatr Wybrzeże you will find funny and informative performances, such as The Rogues of Lisa Witalis, The Adventures of Matołek the Billy-Goat or Enchanted Princess. Faktoria Kultury is also a meeting place with other cultures and traditions.
In August, the Factory of Two Cultures is held here - a festival dedicated to Polish-German dialogue.
You can listen to music, watch films and exhibitions here, as well as take part in language and culinary workshops. Faktoria Kultury is an offer for everyone - regardless of age and interests. It's a place where you can have fun and develop.
If you want to visit the Faktoria in Pruszcz Gdański, you need to know a few important things:
Faktoria is open every day, except Mondays, from 9 am to 6 pm
Regular ticket costs PLN 15, reduced ticket PLN 9
If you have a Pruszczańska Resident Card or a Pruszczańska Large Family Card 3 Plus, you can count on discounts
You can also use family or event ticket
The ticket price includes an audio guide
You can also rent a cottage for non-commercial purposes or a property for commercial purposes
The exact and current price list can be found at this address: https://faktoria-pruszcz.pl /price list/
You can reach Faktoria both by public transport and by your own car
By bus:
(From Gdańsk Dworzec Główny stop to Pruszcz Gd. Faktoria stop) line no. 132, N5
(From Gdańsk Dworzec Główny stop to Pruszcz Gd. ul. Matejki stop) line no. 232, 50, 51
(From Gdańsk Dworzec Główny stop to Pruszcz Gd. ul. Wojska Polskiego stop) line J (From Gdańsk Dworzec Główny stop to Pruszcz Gd. ul. Waląga stop) line no 207, 205 and numerous buses running on the route Gdańsk - Pruszcz Gd.
By car both from ul. Grunwaldzka, as well as the Tri-City ring road (exit towards Pruszcz Gd.). Parking spaces and the entrance are located at ul. Grunwaldzka - turn near Pierogarnia building.
There are various taxi companies operating in the Tri-City, which offer transport to Faktoria at attractive prices. You can order a taxi by phone or via the app.
A taxi will take you to the very gate of Faktoria and pick you up at a convenient time for you. This is the best way to get to Faktoria if you don't want to worry about parking, timetables or distances.
See you there...