The Sečovlje salt pans, where Piran still harvests salt by hand

Seven centuries of salt

The Piran salt pans are mentioned indirectly in 804 and appear in writing in the town statutes of 1274, which regulated those of Sečovlje, Lucija and Strunjan. In 1358 they adopted the method of the salt makers of Pag, making salt on the petola, a microbial layer that keeps it from mixing with mud and keeps it white. By around 1460 they were the largest and most important in the north-eastern Adriatic and the Republic of Venice.

According to the park, of the many salt pans that once lined the Gulf of Trieste only those at Sečovlje and Strunjan survive, and they are the only ones in this part of the Adriatic still making salt with the traditional process and daily harvesting. Piran’s tourist board recalls that from St George’s Day, 23 April, until late October, salt-making families lived out on the pans themselves.

Lera and Fontanigge, what to see in each

The park lies in the country’s far south-west, in the south of Piran municipality, and is divided into two areas separated by the Grande canal. In the north is Lera, where salt is still produced. The guided tour takes at least ninety minutes and includes a walk of about 2 km to the visitor centre, with a film, an interactive model of the water system and a viewing platform over the whole salina. There is a café, Fioret, and a salt shop with an art gallery.

In the south is Fontanigge, no longer worked, where the Saltworks Museum fills four restored salt workers’ houses by the Giassi canal. It tells the history of the salt pans and the life of the families who worked them, and a salt pan has been restored in front. The museum is a cultural monument of national importance. The whole park is a Natura 2000 site rich in birds, and the park also runs birdwatching outings.

Sečovlje salt pans opening hours and prices

Lera opens from 7am to 7pm in spring and autumn, until 9pm in summer and from 8am to 5pm in winter; Fontanigge from 9am to 5pm, until 8pm in summer, and its museum closes from November to March. Admission is €7 from April to October and €6 in winter, with reduced tickets at €5 or €4, family tickets at €16 or €14 and free entry for children under 6. It is valid all day and for both areas. Groups of 15 or more must take a guide.

Dogs are not allowed in Lera. In summer bring water and sun protection, and the park advises groups of older visitors to choose the museum, as the 2 km walk through Lera is tiring.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Portorož before prices climb.

Getting there

Lera is reached from the road running from Lucija to the Sečovlje border crossing, turning right at the top of Seča hill; at the end of the cobbled lane is the entrance, with a car park. Fontanigge is reached along the dirt road beside the Dragonja river, after the border checkpoint and before the bridge. It is a few kilometres from Portorož, and for more coastal nature carry on to Strunjan.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Portorož before prices climb.