Saltworks and health: Medical use of salt and halotherapy – from productive landscapes to multifunctional cultural valorization

Saltworks have historically constituted landscapes of production and economic activity, which in the contemporary era are being redefined as multifunctional spaces for health, wellness, culture, and sustainable entrepreneurship. The medical use of salt, rooted in ancient Greek and Roman traditions, evolved into organized forms of halotherapy, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, where salt mines and salt pans were transformed into therapeutic environments. Inhalation of salt microparticles, saline baths, and the exploitation of the unique microclimate of saltworks have been associated with supporting respiratory function and overall well-being. In the contemporary framework of sustainable development, saltworks are transformed from mono-functional extraction sites into complex experience hubs where health, culture, ecology, and tourism coexist. Examples such as Croatia’s Solana Nin and Solana Pag illustrate a model that integrates traditional knowledge, the natural environment, and modern wellness practices, generating added value for local communities. This study examines the transition of saltworks from production sites to multidimensional landscapes of therapeutic experience and cultural entrepreneurship, highlighting the role of salt as a natural resource, a carrier of historical memory, and a tool for sustainable regional development.