The World Championships in Amber Collecting – Jantar

The skills and tools of old are gradually falling into oblivion, and the “soul” of amber is slowly vanishing. The desire to hold back time was behind the idea of organising the World Championships in Amber Collecting. The Championships are not a classic sporting event, but more like a recreational one. Locals and tourists collect the amber that was first scattered on the beach. Due to its geographical setting, the event takes place in many seaside towns and cities at the same time.

The semi-finals are organised in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Hel, Dębki, Krynica Morska, and Kąty Rybackie, to name but a few, and also in the Russian town of Yantarny located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The World Champion titles, awarded every year, show that amber is a globally-significant resource. The two-day finals in Jantar are accompanied by artistic events and competitions, both on stage and the beach, which are called “Find the treasure in amber”. There is also a picnic and an annual popular-science conference to disseminate knowledge about amber, the Baltic’s natural environment, and the centuries-old history of amber extraction and processing.