{"id":36154,"date":"2020-05-13T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T07:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-slovenia.com\/slovenia\/best-of-slovenia\/piran-copy-2\/"},"modified":"2020-05-13T09:36:40","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T07:36:40","slug":"secovlje-salina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-slovenia.com\/en\/top\/secovlje-salina\/","title":{"rendered":"SE\u010cOVLJE SALINA"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the last traditional saltworks on the Mediterranean<\/h2>

One upon a time, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities in the world. The phrase \u2019not worth his salt\u2019 had to have come from somewhere, and it turns out that origin dates back to when a Roman soldier had his salary cut (even the word \u2018salary\u2019 is derived from \u2018sal\u2019, Latin for salt). In the Roman times of course, part of the soldier\u2019s wage was paid in salt because of its high value. It may not play such a vital role economically these days, but it still happens to be something we can\u2019t live without. <\/p>

It is of great interest then that less than 10km from Piran, Se\u010dovlje Salina Nature Park plays host to one of the only still functioning traditional salt flats in the Mediterranean, as well as a truly unique mix of flora and fauna that have come to thrive in the salty lands. The glory years for Se\u010dovlje were between the 15th and 18th centuries, when the Venetians controlled the area. With the change of ownership moving to Austria, the salt-lands began to experience a cycle of prosperity and recession and were frequently on the verge of bankruptcy. Italy took over again after World War I, but the business side of things continued to decline until the decision was taken to make it into a national park.<\/p>

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