The Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains

27 years after the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Salins-les-Bains Saltworks are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The latter site is also listed as World Industrial Heritage, the first such listing in France : recognition thus bestowed on the genius of men and not least that of the men of the Franche-Comté.

Already in 2008 the construction housing the Salins works joined the list of Historical Monuments. Then, after an extensive program of archaeological studies and renovation, it opened its doors to the public on the 27th June 2009. One month later it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is good news on more than one count. First of all, the Salins Saltworks are ranked up beside those of Arc-et-Senans which have been listed since 1982. Furthermore, the site is listed for its industrial heritage, a ranking hitherto unprecedented in France. Finally, the Franche-Comté can now boast 3 listed sites : the two Saltworks and the Citadel of Besançon. Going again to prove that our region is fantastic.

Long before Arc-et-Senans

Which is the oldest saltworks? Salins of course. The first exploitation of these saltwater springs is dated between the 5th and the 4th millennium B.C. The salt extracted is termed ignigenous: the water, also known as brine, is heated and the crystallized salt then harvested. In the 13th century, there were 3 Saltworks in Salins, each protected by towers and ramparts of which no trace remains today. At the beginning of the 17th century they were brought together under one administration and a 1000 people worked there. However, a century later, due to a shortage of wood, Louis the 15th decided to construct another site on the edge of the forest of Chaux in Arc-et-Senans.

A continuing link between the saltworks

A pipeline 21 km long and known as a Saumoduc conveyed the brine from Salins-les-Bains to Arc-et-Senans. But the Royal Saltworks never did fulfill expectations, while the inhabitants of the area resented this peculiar construction resembling a royal palace but built for industry. The 19th century witnessed its decline and in 1895 the saltworks closed its doors. Notwithstanding, the site received praise for its extraordinary visionary architecture. The exploitation of the Salins-les-Bains Saltworks continued until 1912 when they were still producing 1000 tons a year – insufficient to make a profit. Nowadays the saltwater is still used by spas and to salt roads in winter. There are also visits to the site and more than 50.000 visitors come each year to discover the remarkable underground galleries housing the original pumping-installations still in operation.

An industrial heritage

Of all the sites listed with UNESCO, the 2 saltworks are the only ones to have used the technique of salt-extraction by heat. But while the Arc-et-Senans saltworks are listed for their architectural value, those of Salins-les-Bains have received recognition on account of their industrial character. Thus, with the ceaseless development of new technologies, the ancestral savoir faire of salt-extraction at last gains the recognition it deserves and at the same time a whole era of the Franche-Comté economy is remembered and credited.