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Harvesting salt in the Valle Salado de Añana, a 4,000-year-old salt works that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an UNFAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

The salines are 7,000 years old, but the current architecture is Roman from 200BC. The saltwater was brought down by three channels that transported the saltwater from a natural spring. In the 1950s there were 300 workers before the market for salt crashed in competition with industrial salt works. From the 1960s to 2000 there was almost no production, and in 2000, only one salt maker remained. At its peak, the valley had 13 hectares of salt pans. In the 19th Century, the salt water was stored in cisterns in the cold season to maximize production in the summer months, as only May to Sept/Oct. have enough sun/heat to dry the salt. Currently there are ten full-time Salineros, who produce the salt and maintain the structures. Currently, the governments of the Basque region, the state, and the city government subsidize the salt production which is managed by the foundation. One-tenth of the salt platforms are still in use.

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Harvesting salt in the Valle Salado de Añana, a 4,000-year-old salt works that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an UNFAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.<br /> <br /> The salines are 7,000 years old, but the current architecture is Roman from 200BC. The saltwater was brought down by three channels that transported the saltwater from a natural spring. In the 1950s there were 300 workers before the market for salt crashed in competition with industrial salt works. From the 1960s to 2000 there was almost no production, and in 2000, only one salt maker remained. At its peak, the valley had 13 hectares of salt pans. In the 19th Century, the salt water was stored in cisterns in the cold season to maximize production in the summer months, as only May to Sept/Oct. have enough sun/heat to dry the salt. Currently there are ten full-time Salineros, who produce the salt and maintain the structures. Currently, the governments of the Basque region, the state, and the city government subsidize the salt production which is managed by the foundation. One-tenth of the salt platforms are still in use.

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