By Nicolas Bard

Crossing the old Messolonghi – Aetoliko National Road You will notice an unusual, but extremely impressive spectacle. And the reason of course for the famous Alykes of Messolonghi. Where Eleonas ends, you will see small and large white hills, like snowy, by the sea. These are piles of sea salt and not in a random salt butt, but to the largest in Greece today! It is the so -called “white” of a total of 11,500 acres and with a production capacity of about 120,000 tonnes of salt per year.

In short, it covers 60% of Panhellenic production.

The scene of the salt production is defined as salt. Alykes consist of tankswhich in turn are divided into individual apartments, and within them passes the sea water, which with the help of the sun and the air evaporates to leave the “white treasure” behind it. In areas like this, the phenomenon of seawater evaporation is particularly severe during the summer, and the replacement of water slower, resulting in salt crystallization.

The salt production process begins in March and ends around the end of October. Sea water is pumped from the Messolonghi lagoon and is channeled into the apartments, also known as “basins”. From there it progresses to the next apartments, where the salt is pumped from the crystalline. In the Alykes of Messolonghi the salt is collected and concentrated white and clean in small piles. After the washing process is completed, it is then transported with the help of a metaphorical film to the outdoor warehouses, forming the cinematic saltwater, which look like they have been covered with glaze, an image that arouses the interest of all passers -by. Some of these salty hills reach 15 meters high, and the landscape is fitted to lunar soil.

In addition to the “white” Alyki, there is also the so -called “black” in Messolonghi. Smaller in extent, but equally important, as it produces 15,000 tonnes of salt on an annual basis. There, in a building that used to be a dormitory for the Alyki workers, the Salt Museum was founded, which opened its doors in May 2021. In this museum the visitor can learn everything about the history of the Alykes in the area, whose operation began in the 14th century. The building hosts an impressive collection of 1,500 different salts, exhibits various works of art of course inspired by the sea treasure, and the visitor can be informed about all 14,000 salt uses in our lives, because cooking is only a small part of it.

In addition to the impressive hills of salt and the museum, the wider area of ​​the Messolonghi lagoon is a great ecosystem, with flamingos and other bird species finding refuge in its shallow waters, and there are thermal baths. Walking or bikes the slim strips of land that spread along the lagoon you will also see the famous clients, small houses that look like floating on the waters, used by local fishermen for rest, but also of the roasters, the graphic wooden boats. If you visit Mesolongi, then it is worth strolling in the lagoon at sunset, as all the creature is painted in unique colors and reflected in the shaky waters. A living painting, and an unforgettable picture, which you will carry forever inside you…