Las Salinas de Añana
February 9th, 2010 | by nick |
The first saline springs here were documented as early as the year 822. In the Middle Ages, salt production made the Salinas de Añana one of the most prosperous towns in the North of the Iberian Peninsula. A plan is underway to restore the site.
The Unesco note this on their site on historical mining heritage in Spain here
The so-called “Salt Valley” has adjusted over time to the different needs of each period, increasing or reducing the number of outdoor solar evaporation sites in operation depending on production demand at the time. The Valley’s production network was comprised of springs, roads, canals, wells, solar evaporation sites and warehouses, all of which have evolved over time towards greater surface area, salt production and solar evaporation surface. Salt was produced by channelling spring water and water from the Muera River through a network of wooden aqueducts to an area of horizontal platforms made of wood and stone (owing to the slope of the terrain) called “farms” where the water was distributed into rectangular plots or solar evaporation sites. Once the water has evaporated, salt is harvested and stored in bins protected from the rain.
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