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International

UNESCO Industrial Heritage:
Salins-les-Bains, France

The ancient salt mines and works are situated the origins, political, social and commercial development of the salt
in the town of Salins-les-Bains in the region of industry and the part played by the ancient saltworks and mines. It
Bourgogne, Franche Comté in eastern France. includes the techniques for manufacturing different types of salt, the
Its name relates to the saline waters that were heavy work of the labourers and artisans who were employed in the
used for bathing and drinking. The story of salt mines, salt smuggling controls and the rise of hydrotherapy.
is intimately linked with the town where it was Hydrotherapy: Health and Fitness
produced for 6,000 years. In 2009 the salt works Using the brine of the saltworks for medical purposes was a natural
were added to the list of UNESCO heritage of complement to the business of making salt in Salins-les-Bains. They
world industrial sites. were operating intermittently in tandem with the hydrotherapy season
They are closely linked to their smaller that had to be supplied with eaux-mères (mother water), a by-product
counterpart, the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et- of the evaporation process. The saltworks closed in 1962. Today no salt
Senans, built by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux for is produced in Salins-les-Bains but the saline springs continue to be
Louis XV between 1775-1779 as a royal factory exploited to supply brine for water-cures and the de-icing of roads.
to respond to the rising need for salt. His plans
placed the surface buildings in a semi-circular A veritable phenomenon throughout Europe, hydrotherapy enjoyed
layout. Salt making in Arc-et-Senans finally spectacular success from about 1850 to the outbreak of the Great
ceased in 1894. Partially destroyed in the War. In Salins-les-Bains it began to develop in the early to mid-
earlier years of the twentieth century the site nineteenth century. The practical observations of Dr. Claude-Marie
was designated a historic monument in 1926. Germain highlighted the virtues of the town’s saline waters. In the
Restoration works began in 1936 and in 1982 it 1800s hydrotherapy was prescribed for a wide variety of medical
was added to UNESCO’s list of world heritage. ailments with vouchers for treatment and services at the hydrotherapy
Today it represents an industrial type of utopian establishment.
architecture, emblematic of the century of
the Enlightenment. The surface buildings are The arrival of the railway in Salins-les-Bains in 1857 was a determining
presently used to host concerts and a number of factor in attracting visitors contributing to the development and
other cultural events. popularity of hydrotherapy. The following year saw the official opening
of the hydrotherapy establishment. It was built due to the personal
For over a century the salt works of Salins-les- endeavours of Monsieur de Grimaldi, Administrator of the Companie
Bains supplied brine to the Royal Saltworks des Salines de L’Est. The 1880s was a golden age with hydrotherapy
along a wooden aqueduct or saumoduc, literally attracting regional and Parisian clientele. This new activity for the
a ‘brinoduct’ which was twenty-one kilometres town left its mark on local architecture such as the grand Hotel des
long. The town is situated in the narrow valley Bains (1864) and the Casino (1890). Also, part of the Convent of the
of the Furieuse dominated by two fortified Cordeliers was converted as a place for the spa-goers to walk and enjoy
hills named Fort Belin and Fort Saint-André. concerts.
Originally the territory of Salins was part of the
Abbey of Saint-Maurice-en-Valais in bordering Around 1914 the clientele began to change as hydrotherapy was made
Switzerland. It was given over to the Counts of accessible to the popular classes. This trend became more pronounced
Macon and remained in the possession of their after WW2 when France’s welfare system started funding certain water-
descendants until 1175. Historical records show based treatments. In 1935 the spa was entirely rebuilt and modernised.
the value of the salt that is documented as a It turned its focus to growth disorders among children, gynaecology
precious commodity of “white gold”. and rheumatology. Cures involved saline baths and showers at various
temperatures. Currently, with an ageing clientele, the predominant
Today the Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains attract pathology treated at the establishment is rheumatism and, since 1980,
around 70,000 visitors annually to visit the the development of activities and holiday packages relating to fitness.
museum and discover the vast space of the Ita Marguet
deep underground gallery on different levels
designated in 1971 as an ancient monument. It Note: Acknowledgement is given to use of a booklet and other sources
has modern state of the art visitor facilities and about the origins, history and development of Salins-les-Bains. It follows
guided tours to provide detailed explanations of a visit to ‘The Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains’, April 2019.

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