The Guild of Palanga’s Amber Masters

The Guild of Palanga Amber Masters ("Palangos gintaro meistru gildija") is a public organisation that unites amber masters of great experience. The Guild represents the town of Palanga as a major bearer of Lithuania's amber processing traditions, as a town that has the most of all amber masters in the country. The members of the Guild have been participating in Germany, Poland, Italy, Estonia, UAE, Japan, Russia and many other countries.

PALANGA

The largest and most famous Lithuanian seaside resort on the Baltic shore, 25 km north of Klaipeda. Prior to World War I, Palanga used to attract 4,000-5,000 guests per season; during Lithuania's independence their number rose to a maximum of 15,000; after World War II, the total of vacationers jumped to 100,000, but most of them now come from Soviet Russia. The regular Inhabitants of the town numbered 2,039 in 1923, 4,600 in 1939, 5,685 in 1959, and 10,800 in 1972. The town occupies a territory of 2,970 ha, divided into two parts by the Raze creek (17 km). The summer villas, sanatoria, and a large park are located in the southern section, while most of the town's offices and plants are situated in the northern section. The main enterprise is the amber works, which employs about 100 workers and consumes 8,000 kg of amber annually for art items and other products. At the end of the 19th century some 500 workers used to process approximately 20,000 kg of amber annually.

Palanga has become a well-known seaside resort because of several significant advantages. The broad and spacious bar of clean sand with a long chain of undulating dunes is ideal for sunbathing. The temperature is higher than the annual average in Lithuania, the clouds are fewer, and the sun's radiation is greater. The amounts of ozone and iodine, in the air are relatively high. Mineral water for drinking and for curative baths is obtained from an artesian well. The town is surrounded by pine-forests and stands between two hills associated with many legends. According to one of them, Birute, the wife of Prince Kestutis, was a priestess who guarded the sacred fire burning on an altar at Palanga. It is said that after the death of Kestutis (1382) she returned to her native place and was buried on the hill that was consequently named after her. The legend has become very popular among Lithuanians and lends a distinct romantic aura to Palanga.

It is also home to the The Palanga Amber Museum.
 The Palanga Amber Museum was established on August 3, 1963. It is housed on the estate of Count Feliksas Tiskevicius (1865-1932).

The Palanga Amber Museum’s exposition takes up 15 rooms. About 4,500 exhibit pieces are found here. Visitors are acquainted with the formation, processing, practical application, and morphological variations of amber.

Palanga. Photos by Danute Mukiene, 2002, 2003