Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <beaches><activities><poland><gdansk>
Title: Where can I go looking for amber in Gdańsk, Poland?
Question: I've read that one can find  amber  easily in the beaches in Gdansk. I believe it, but how to get to those beaches? Will anyone be offended if I go there and spend one hour looking for amber?

Answers:
sents: text: Nobody will be offended.
text: It is a common practice among children to search for amber or shells.
text: However I would not expect too much.
text: Amber can be easily mistaken with other rocks and if you ever find something it would be rather of a small size.
text: The beaches along the whole coast are easily accessible and I can hardly believe in the existence of hot spots.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1605/crenate
score: 16
sents: text: No, no one is going to be offended; In fact, it is a common practice, as already mentioned.
text: Random facts:
text: The best time is just after the storm, especially during winter.
text: I've heard some people go early in the morning for a search.
text: Never underestimate the place.
text: Sometimes you can find a lot of amber in crowded-looking part of beach.
text: There are even some guys who dedicate themselves to searching for amber and then selling it to tourists.
text: Similarly to those with metal detectors searching for lost goods at mediterranean beaches.
text: You will generally find rather small pieces.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1758/Krizz
score: 9
sents: text: As I understand it, amber gets washed ashore and it is usually just little bits and pieces, probably nothing significant but a nice souvenir nonetheless.
text: Check Sopot beach .
text: It is mentioned at the site that it has some amber from time to time.
text: I believe you have the same chances of finding amber at any beach there.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1593/rlab
score: 6
sents: text: Nobody will be offended if you look at a public beach and don't start digging large holes.
text: But be careful - after WW2, lots of unused ammunition was dumped into the Baltic, and sometimes fragments of phosphorous from incendiary bombs get washed ashore.
text: Those look very much like amber, except they spontaneously combust when they get dry and warm.
text: Quite a few people have suffered nasty burns because of this.
text: I'm not sure
text: whether that's a problem in the Gdansk area, but better be safe than sorry: if you find anything that looks like amber, put it into a bag, not your pocket, and don't leave it in your car unattended.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1371/Michael Borgwardt
score: 5
sents: text: As was said earlier, it is recomended to search for amber right after the storm when you a lot of new stuff can be found at the beach.
text: But there are several special events - Amber Collecting World Championships
text: Here is a short video:
text: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwfODp64p4 Event dates for 2013: http://www.polawianiebursztynu.pl/artykul/53
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/7174/Nick Kharchenko
score: 3

Summary of the answers:
Nobody will get offended, and it is a common practice among children to search for amber or shells. Sopot Beach is a good place to look, and it is recommended to go early in the morning and especially after a winter storm. You can sometimes find a lot of amber in crowded-looking areas of beach, but the pieces are usually small.
Looking for amber on the beaches around Gdansk is a common practice and everyone is free to do it, although, in general only small pieces are found. The best time to search is said to be after a storm and also, perhaps, in the early morning.