New Saline Visitor Center opens

Made of light wood, it nestles against the industrial colossus of the saltworks: the new visitor center, which will make salt production a reality in the future. On Thursday, the company’s board of directors ceremoniously opened the new building. “As is well known, we have three show mines in Hallein, Hallstatt and Altaussee,” explains Supervisory Board Chairman Hannes Androsch, “but until now there was no opportunity to see what is made from the brine that has been laboriously extracted.”

This is exactly what a small permanent exhibition in the center is now showing: It explains the route of the salt from the mountain to the saltworks and gives an insight into the 200 products that are manufactured there. Admission is free.

Guided tours from July

In the summer, the center will be the starting point for tours of the saltworks. For the first time, private individuals will have the opportunity to experience production up close on a tour in July and August. “Legally, that wasn’t so easy because the tours take place during ongoing operations,” says Ariane Herzog, the board member responsible for production and technology.

Twelve dates are planned, the exact dates are yet to be announced. The highlight will be the Long Night of Industrial Culture on September 5th. It is not yet clear whether there will be guided tours for private individuals after this.

The visitor center will definitely be the focal point for the school days that the saltworks organizes twice a year. It will also mark the end and start points of the brine path to Hallstatt, which will soon be presented after a redesign.

In relation to salt production, the saltworks’ tourist activities only account for a small part of its turnover, says CEO Peter Untersperger: “However, the number of visitors is considerable – with the current development, we could break the 700,000 barrier.”

Androsch also emphasizes the importance of the show mines and the visitor center: “We are showing once again that salt is not only a vital mineral, but also creates and maintains salt culture.”