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Ston Salt Pans, Croatia.
The Ston Salt Pans in Croatia are among the oldest in the world, with a 4,000-year history dating back to prehistoric times when the area was known as "Stagnum" by the Romans. Their golden age began in 1333 when the Republic of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) acquired the territory, establishing a state monopoly that made the salt, nicknamed "white gold," responsible for up to one-third of the Republic's total revenue. To protect this vital economic engine, the Republic constructed the massive Walls of Ston during the 14th and 15th centuries. The traditional, entirely manual harvesting method remains in use today, relying on a complex system of 58 shallow pools where seawater is naturally evaporated by the sun and wind. After one to two months, the brine flows into the nine final crystallization pools—many named after saints—where the pure crystals are formed and scraped by hand using wooden rakes and shovels. The harvested salt is then loaded into small carts, historically pulled by donkeys for transport to stone warehouses. This system reflects the community's values, especially through the Mundo crystallization pool, from which the salt was historically set aside and given to the poor to aid them in food preservation.
Ston Salt Pans, Croatia.
The Ston Salt Pans in Croatia are among the oldest in the world, with a 4,000-year history dating back to prehistoric times when the area was known as "Stagnum" by the Romans. Their golden age began in 1333 when the Republic of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) acquired the territory, establishing a state monopoly that made the salt, nicknamed "white gold," responsible for up to one-third of the Republic's total revenue. To protect this vital economic engine, the Republic constructed the massive Walls of Ston during the 14th and 15th centuries. The traditional, entirely manual harvesting method remains in use today, relying on a complex system of 58 shallow pools where seawater is naturally evaporated by the sun and wind. After one to two months, the brine flows into the nine final crystallization pools—many named after saints—where the pure crystals are formed and scraped by hand using wooden rakes and shovels. The harvested salt is then loaded into small carts, historically pulled by donkeys for transport to stone warehouses. This system reflects the community's values, especially through the Mundo crystallization pool, from which the salt was historically set aside and given to the poor to aid them in food preservation.