Salina di Cervia: where white gold meets nature and memory

In the heart of the Riviera Romagnola, a few steps from the sea, there is a landscape that surprises and enchants: it is the Cervia Salt Pan which, with 827 hectares of surface, represents a unique ecosystem, an open-air museum and a privileged access point to the Po Delta Park.

In 1959 , the family and artisanal harvest gave way to large-scale mechanized production: the 144 small salt pans , which had always been at the heart of the salt-making community, were unified into a single large salt pan, where the salt was collected only once a year at the end of the summer.

But not all is lost. A salt mine remains as a testimony to that past marked by ancient gestures and shared toil: the Salina Camillone .

Salina Camillone: ​​living memory of traditional harvesting

Having survived the industrial revolution of salt, Salina Camillone is the last of the original salt pans still active. Today it is part of the MUSA – Museo del Sale circuit and continues to produce salt by hand, thanks to the dedication of the Gruppo Culturale Civiltà Salinara .

Every year, between June and September, on Thursday and Sunday afternoons, it is possible to take part in guided tours that show live the processing of salt according to traditional techniques. The tools are the same as always (wooden shovels, hand carts, tubs) and the gesture is the same one passed down for generations.

The salt collected here is known as “ Sweet Salt of Cervia ”, a name that has nothing to do with sugar but with its purity: free from bitter salts thanks to the daily harvest and the coastal microclimate, it is a delicate and precious salt, so much so that in 2004 it became a Slow Food presidium .

For those who want to live this experience firsthand, the most special event is “ Saltworker for a day ”. Every Tuesday, you can step into the shoes of the salt workers and join them in their daily activities: lifting the salt with the shovel, loading the carts, listening to the stories of those who have made their job a mission.

The Visitor Center: gateway between nature and culture

The information point of the Salina is the Visitor Center , obtained from an old slaughterhouse renovated and transformed into a meeting place for nature, photography and industrial archaeology enthusiasts. Today it is one of the most important observation points for the study of bird migrations along the Adriatic route as well as the nerve center of the visiting activities of the Salina.

From March to November, environmental guides lead visitors along thematic routes that reveal the secrets of the northernmost salt mine in Italy. In spring, the itineraries focus on naturalistic aspects : you can observe migratory birds, listen to the sounds of the marsh and explore the fragile balance that regulates this unique habitat. In summer and autumn, however, the protagonist returns to being the production of salt , with the possibility of also witnessing its harvest.

During the “ Special Salt Harvest ” visits, the landscape comes alive: loaded wagons whizz along the rails that cross the basins, the salt workers are at work under the sun and the water of the salt pans is tinged with an almost unreal pink, due to the concentration of salt.

Pink flamingos and brine shrimp: fascinating protagonists

Among the most fascinating figures that populate the Cervia Salt Pans, the pink flamingos stand out, which have found a permanent home here. They are no longer “passing guests”, but true inhabitants of this landscape of water and sky and their elegant silhouettes often stand out at dawn or dusk, immersed in pools that look like mirrors.

At the basis of their presence, and of the delicate balance of the entire ecosystem, there is a small, almost invisible reddish crustacean: the brine shrimp , just a few millimeters long but with a fundamental role. It feeds on algae and debris, keeping the waters of the tanks clear and thus promoting evaporation. But it is not only a "natural filter": it is also a precious nourishment for numerous species of birds, including flamingos, but also the shelduck, the avocet and the black-winged stilt.

Every element, in Salina, is part of a subtle and powerful interweaving: the work of man, the beating of the wings of birds, the silence of the pools, the dance of light on the brackish water. Everything contributes to creating a landscape that is not only to be seen, but to be lived and protected.