The saltworks at Arc-et-Senans is one of the most spectacular industrial monuments in Europe. It was built between 1775 and 1779 on the fringe of the forest of Chaux, since supplies of wood for fuel were becoming scarce near to the existing works at Salins, from where brine was pumped through a ‘saloduct’ made of hollowed-out pine trunks.
The neo-classical buildings designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806), include two boiling houses and 24 workers dwellings, arranged in two wings on either side of a monumental entrance building, which plays tricks of scale with visitors. Salt production came to an end in 1895, and a research institute and a conference centre now occupy the buildings.
La Saline royale d’Arc-et-Senans World Heritage Site
Institut Claude-Nicolas Ledoux
Saline royale
F 25610 Arc-et-Senans
France
+33 (0) 381 - 544545
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