Gdańsk – World Capital of Amber: Museum, Shops, Amber details
Did you know that the city of Gdańsk is called World Capital of Amber? It’s here, in Gdańsk, that you can just go to the beach to search and collect this golden treasure. You can also visit here many shops with amazing jewellery and other things sculptured in amber. Last but not least, in Gdańsk there is a great Amber Museum which you need to see during your visit to the city.
I visited this museum and even if I’m Tricity local (I live in Gdynia), it was quite surprising and impressive.
Let’s look at some details and description of amber, places to make your amber jewellery shopping and the Museum of Amber.
Why Gdańsk is called World Capital of Amber
The liquid sunshine, the gold of the Baltic, the magic stone, the gold of the North – there are quite many terms that amber is called.
But what it is amber? It’s natural, fossilized tree resin from coniferous tree, formed millions of years ago. The Baltic amber comes from 40 million years ago.
Amber can be found in different continents, however the biggest deposit of amber is located at the Baltic Sea.
For centuries, Gdańsk has been the centre of global amber trade, with the peak in 17th and 18th centuries. At the moment, it’s still the manufacturing centre, as from Gdańsk and the region comes around 70% of global amber jewellery production. As you can see, the title of Amber World Capital is well-deserved.
You can also try to search for the amber yourself. The highest possibility to find it is after the storm with big waves and northern-eastern winds. You can try on all the beaches in Tricity, which I described here.
The most well-known beach for this search is Wyspa Sobieszewska in Gdańsk. It’s beautiful place, just a bit further from the city centre.
However, I have to admit I have never managed to find and collect amber myself, it’s not very easy if you don’t know how. So don’t count on it and just make sure you see a lot of beautiful amber arts by visiting shops, Museum and St. Bridget’s Church (Kościół św. Brygidy) which has the biggest Amber Altar in the world.
Amber shopping
I remember when I used to work in big international corporation here in Tricity, every foreign guest who visited us wanted to go for amber jewellery shopping.
We usually ended up going to Mariacka street in Gdańsk. It’s one of the nicest streets in Gdańsk, so you need to walk it anyway, but it’s also one of the best places to check out amber jewellery.
(Although you will find more shops in the centre, too. Look at Długa street and Długie Pobrzeże).
There are really many things that you can buy, earrings, necklaces, rings, in different styles. Classical, modern, with bigger or more delicate amber parts. The most often amber goes with silver, but you can buy it also with gold and in other styles.
The most common is to buy amber inside the jewellery, but obviously you can also buy some other things shaped in amber, decorations, like, for example, small ships figures or photo frames etc.
Just make sure that you check out that the amber has authentication certificate, although in most of the shops in Gdańsk centre it should be fine.
Downstairs in the Amber Museum there is also shop, and you can see (and buy) there absolutely amazing amber staff, not only jewellery.
You can also buy cosmetics with amber, especially soaps and shampoos. Some of them you can buy in souvenir shops, but also standard cosmetics shops like Hebe or Rossmann.
Museum of Amber in Gdańsk: Is it worth it?
It is, absolutely. And I really mean it, not only because of the content to sound good;)
The museum is located in the centre of the city, kind of in between of the places that you will walk anyway during your visit, so it’s very convenient.
Actually, the building in which museum is located is a monument itself. It’s in the Great Mill (Wielki Młyn), which was built by the Teutonic Knights around year 1350. It was the biggest mill in Europe during the Middle Ages. But obviously not only the location is a reason to visit the Museum, the exhibition too.
What you will see in the Amber Museum
Museum is not huge, but big enough to get into the topic, as it has over 1000 of showpieces, and interesting information to read.
On the first floor you will be able to learn about the history of amber, the creation process, and see lumps with inclusions of insects and plants.
On the second floor you will be able to see shaped amber products. I don’t want to spoil it, but sometimes quite surprising ones. There are also some more interactive parts, although I would say it’s probably not the most exciting museum for younger kids.
On the ground floor there is entry, big shop with everything amber related and smaller rooms with temporary exhibitions.
In my opinion it’s fascinating museum and one of the nicest and ‘must see’ in Gdańsk.
Amber Museum in Gdańsk practically
As already stated, Museum has a very good location in the centre, within walking distance to many hotels and other attractions.
The visit in the Amber Museum should take you around 2 hours.
It’s opened daily:
Monday 12-18
Tuesday-Sunday 10-18.
You can buy ticket and enter latest one hour before opening.
On Monday entry is for free, other days ticket is paid (at the moment for adults it costs 37 PLN, which is around 9 Euro).
Confirm these details before your visit here.
Entry to the Museum is also included in the Gdańsk Tourist Card, which I described in details in this blog post.
If you plan to visit this Museum and maybe something more, like European Solidarity Centre and Second World War Museum, the card it’s worth it.
Enjoy the Amber part of Gdańsk!
