The impressive collection of “inclusions” (when bugs or plants are caught inside the amber) is intriguing to look at, and the many amber creations, from inkwells to spoons to a stunning Fender Stratocaster guitar, shows the material’s diversity. A large open room at the top of the building houses an impressive array of modern amber jewellery that appears more artistic than wearable. Many find the separate exhibits on the building’s past as a torture chamber uncomfortable – and considering the piped-in soundtrack of pained cries, we understand why – but they are a must-see, if for no other reason to find out what “thumb screwing” and a “heretic’s fork” are. The lower part of the building also housed the city's courthouse from where convicted criminals would be sentenced to hang on the square outside.

The pride of the exhibition, on loan from a private collector in Munich, is a collection of historic examples of amber art, made in Gdansk in the 17th and 18th centuries. The work of artists from Gdansk in different fields is also displayed, starting with applied art to contemporary installations where the amber is used as the basic material.