A crossroads of culture

Meanwhile, the museum also has a large collection of amber adornments and household items, dating from the Neolithic age (4000－2000 BC) to today. In the museum there are artifacts found in the region of Kaliningrad dating back to between the 2nd and 5th centuries, a time of intensive trade contact with the Roman Empire.

Alexander Yuritsin, a local amber jeweler, is always happy to share with people the advantages of amber.

"Amber is good for your health. If you cut granite, you have to wear a protective mask and goggles. But when you work with amber, you don't have to take these precautions－it makes you sturdy, young and handsome. Like me, you see?"

A short trip away from Kaliningrad is Russia's Baltic sea resorts. Pieces of amber lifted from the sea floor are sometimes cast by the waves onto the white sand beaches, where they can be collected by hand. Most of the raw amber, however, comes from the vast quarry just outside the town of Yantarny.

Kaliningrad is one of Russia's main transport hubs: it has sea and river ports, an international airport and a well-developed network of public transport. Most bus routes are duplicated by trams, trolleybuses or minibuses. It also boasts the only port in the Baltic Sea that never freezes.

In 2020, according to a report in The Moscow Times, TripAdvisor ranked Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as the No 1 emerging tourism destination in the world.