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How did Vikings open the Baltic Sea to trade?

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Map showing the physical features, major cities, and national boundaries around the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and English Channel regions of northern and western Europe. The map highlights coastal countries including the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia, with sea depths indicated and key islands, peninsulas, and underwater trenches labeled. — Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the English Channel.

During the Viking Age, Swedish Vikings played a pivotal role in opening the Baltic Sea to trade by establishing and controlling vital commercial networks.12

Driven by the expansion of Arab trade in the 8th and 9th centuries, Vikings secured footholds in western Russia and Ukraine. From strategic river towns such as Novgorod and Kyiv, they managed trade routes along the Dnieper River to the Black Sea and the Volga River to the Caspian Sea. These routes facilitated a lucrative trade in furs and slaves, evidenced by the discovery of Arab silver coins in Swedish soil.12

To support their dominance over Baltic commerce, the Vikings founded Birka around 800 CE, which served as a central trading hub. Their ability to navigate these waters and reach distant markets was enabled by the longship, a sturdy, versatile vessel capable of both coastal and riverine travel.1234