Museum of Salt in Pomorie

The Museum of the salt represents the ancient anhial technology in production of sea salt. The main tasks of the project is to make it popular through Internet, other materials, audio-video clips, as well as to be built a touristy infrastructure and additional comfort to the tourists. The museum has been opened on September 7th 2002. The old buildings next to the salterns have been turned to touristy attraction with 160 thousand euro – 75% under program FAR and 25% of municipality Pomorie recourses. The municipality applied to an international project “All about the salt” (2001-2002) together with Municipalities in Greece, Portugal and Slovakia. With the money has been renovated old buildings, later with a decision of the municipality 25decares has been transformed into Salt Museum.
It has become very popular for the tourists and very soon won financing to other project – “ Development of the cultural tourism in Bulgaria” (2004 – 2005). The sum for the construction of touristy infrastructure – 336 200 euro. The second main task of the project is building of a tourists infrastructure  and creation of additional comfort to the tourists.

The process
Salterns of the museum and now process salt in authentic technology that has been practiced for more than 25 centuries. It consists of successive passage of water from the sea to the lake, and thence successively through several pools/pans/ to increase evaporation and concentration of salt. The process ends with a salt crystallization in small sizes from 80 to 100sq.m. In them sun, wind and salt water become masters of the white crystalline salt. Tourists visiting the museum can participate in the production of salt and to examine solar masters.

Museum sale
The museum sale is furnished with contemporary audio and video technique and offer excellent conditions for meetings. The collection of photos follows the production of salt from the beginning of XX century until today. It is includes  authentic instruments and equipments. The oldest documents from the exposition of the museum are copies of ottoman-turkish documents from XV-XIX century, which tell about the trade and administrative procedures of that time. The museum has maps from XVIII to XX century.

Lake of Pomorie
The museum of salt is situated on the coast of the salt lake in Pomorie, which has a very specific flora and fauna. It is a very attractive place for ecotourism and bird observation. The lake area is rich with biodiversity and habitat for rare and endangered plants and animals. Since 2001 the lake was declared a protected area and since 2002 is included in the Ramsar Convention as a wet spot with global ornithological signature – occurs more than 240 bird species. The lake is one of the  most important nesting sites of Black sea0winged Stilt and Pied Avocet. The Mute Swan spends winter at the Pomorie Lake. The un-governmental organization "Green Balkans" has received grant funding from Global Environment Fund for the project "Pomorie Lake - conservation, restoration and sustainable management. The main project activities are:

• Development of a management plan for protected area;
• Establishment of administrative and visitor center with the necessary infrastructure and equipment;
• Construction activities to restore the hydrological balance of the lake;
• Restoration and conservation of bird habitats.

Consultants for the project have attracted leading Bulgarian and international specialists. Are holding contests for artists of design and construction works. Many travel companies have included the Museum of salt in their routes. Out of season the place has become a favorite for conducting student competitions and ekopraznitsi. A deposit of healing mud used for centuries for curative procedures. The Salt Museum is situated in the old town, between the Pomorie Lake and salterns, directly behind the stadium and sanatorium of the Ministry of Health.

For the white sea gold
Over the centuries salt was used as a tool for economic exchange, light and symbol of prosperity. In Ancient Greece the price of slaves was measured by conversion of their weight in salt. Roman soldiers did not receive overhead, to buy salt (salarium argentum), where the word comes to wages in several European languages. Romans loved salt vegetables, leading to incorporation of the Latin word for salt in the word salad (in some dialects of Latin salata, literally mean saline). Later, in medieval Europe, the expression "to sit above the salt" means conferring a high honor. The Bulgarian language has many expressions that emphasize the importance of salt to our people – valuable as a salt, “salt of the earth”, “ like eating tasteless without salt, and many others. Although salt is historically known as a scarce product, industrial production today it provides in abundance. The only salt museum in Southeastern Europe is located in the Bulgarian Black Sea town of Pomorie. In ancient Anhialo sea salt is produced from time immemorial. Historians salterns existed before the founding of the city (about V century BC). 20th years of the XX in Bulgaria, sea salt is mined only in Pomorie. And as in the past salt was scarce and some placeshad the value of gold Anhialo salt works were object of disputes and wars. For the ancient Anhialo was even declared war between Messemvia (Nessebut) and Apollonia (Sozopol)

Salt is a livelihood for generations of people living in coastal settlements, so it becomes the center of their existence and their influence on the meaningful perception of the world. However, nowhere in 2002 to the Black Sea coast we not found a museum of salt. And it may be a stable point of attraction for tourists, especially those coming from countries landlocked.Cheapest pachage of salt that you buy from the store is much more important than simple for granted in our daily lives. At least, that it can not be produced anywhere, and that technology is not easy, but a lot of places is the same as it was hundreds of years.

Pomorie is one of the largest salt centers in Bulgaria. There is still operational technology for the production of salt by solar evaporation of seawater. Tourists can observe the whole process, because the museum has 20 acres. Salt force, in which salt is extracted and processed in the ancient Anhialo technology. In addition, the site offers a more modern way to display the exhibits for visitors to actually see the process work and can calmly talk to workers about the intricacies  of the craft.

According to historians, salt is in Pomorie V from BC to study the history of salt in the resort town has given a rich exhibition hall with many photographs from the beginning of the century, film materials and explain how it all started everything. For the image of the salt in the perception of the Bulgarians need we need to mention only the most traditional way to welcome guests – bread and salt.

You can combine your holiday with a visit to one of the most attractive museums in Bulgaria and to look at the statutory kitchen product with very different eyes.We recommend you to go in May, to grasp and games with masks in the city, where streets are still not crowded and you can feel the importance of the local salt.