The Patrimonialization of Traditional Salinas in Europe, a Successful Transformation from a Productive to a Services-Based Activity

Traditional inland salinas in Spain and Portugal are often located in rural, isolated areas with low agricultural value, and very few have survived in coastal areas under high land use change pressure. Before the advent of efficient transportation networks, about 500 small inland and ca. 250 coastal saltworks existed there. During the 20th century, these sites were gradually abandoned in favor of industrial salt from mines or larger coastal salinas. Only a few were able to transform a productive activity into a multifunctional, services-oriented landscape. This contribution discusses the recovery and patrimonialization processes of nine inland salinas in Spain and Portugal protected as monuments, plus three other successful cases in Denmark, France, and Slovenia. With an indicator-based tool, the degree of patrimonialization of each site was quantified. In recent decades, these cultural landscapes have invested in gastronomy, wellness, tourism, and innovation, transforming a cultural landscape in decline into a living landscape for the future. The different stages in their patrimonialization process have been characterized, helping identify the hinges and tipping points at which a traditional productive activity in danger can evolve into a consolidated heritage-based successful initiative. Good practices have been detected and described. Potential pitfalls and challenges in patrimonialization were also identified, serving as early warning signs. Although focused on traditional salinas, the results of this study may help manage and preserve similar cultural landscapes in Europe. Some ideas for future management and research on productive cultural landscapes are provided.