Hi, I'm Joanna, the author of The Blond Travels. In the worlds of Thailand and Portugal, I feel like a fish in water - and it's no coincidence! I've been exploring Thailand for over a decade, and I've settled in Portugal for 6 years now. My mission is to support Dreamers - just like you - in discovering these fascinating countries and helping those in love with them find their own place on Earth, preferably for good! Let's uncover these unique corners of the world together.
Amber is extremely popular in Poland. Especially on the coast jewellery shops selling amber accessories are very common. No wonder. This precious stone can be found in almost every beach town and city in Poland. After storms and when daggers deepen the shore, amber enthusiasts flood beaches. They look for bigger and smaller stones. Quite often they don’t do it for profit, as you need to find tones of it to make money, but mainly for the thrill of finding another beautiful piece.
There are hundreds of amber stones displayed in the museum
Quite a few of the amber pieces include insects and plants
Amber was created around 40 mln years ago. Today’s Baltic Sea was then a shallow lake, which was covered by trees. Resin from those trees dropped to the water and turned later into amber. The oldest excavated pieces of amber come from Palaeolithic era and were used by various tribes to make amulets. Later on it was used in trade and today it is a decorative material.
Here you can see how stones look like when they are found on a beach
Medicine can also be made out of amber
Amber Museum in Gdansk shows stones with insects and plants trapped in them. Here you can see creatures that existed almost 40 mln years ago! One of the most precious expositions includes a lizard in a yellow, see through stone. There are also floors with medieval tools made out of amber and exhibits featuring modern art and jewellery. You can also climb to the top of the Fore Tower, in which the museum is located, and admire the view over Gdansk.
Admire views of Gdansk from the top of the tower
Location: ul. Targ Węglowy 26
Website: Muzeum Bursztynu Gdańsk
Tickets: 12 Złotych (adult)