阿尔克-塞南的皇家盐场

Although we knew nothing of the salt production in Doubs, after visiting the Saline Royale and the salt mine and museum at Salins-les-Bains we now understand how salt drove the local economy. It's definitely worth visiting both establishments as the saline solution was pumped up from the rocks at Salins-les-Bains and then piped to Saline Royale to evaporate the water, heated by local trees in Arcs-et-Senans. Taken together, they are worthy of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Little remains of the old salt machinery here at La Saline Royale but the stunning architecture and vision of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux made it a memorable visit, when taken in conjunction with the audio tour. Surrounding the buildings is a perimeter of imaginative and magical gardens that also provided welcome shade on what was, for us, a very hot sunny August day. Arriving on bikes, we were able to leave panniers and bags in cupboards at the ticket office so no worries about having to carry things around. There's also a large supermarket a few hundred metres away which may be welcome for holidaymakers to stock up on reasonably priced supplies.

Personally I found this place incredibly boring and for 11.50 euros for adults a bit over priced however you can't fault them on effort in ways of explaining salt exploration, exploitation and general production. It's all there and you will be an expert when you leave (assuming your French is up to scratch). Also good if you love architecture. My 12 year old loved the exhibition on various buildings and I must admit the buildings themselves are quite impressive. So if knowledge on salt or architectural experience is what you want then it's a must. Otherwise, I know I am a heathen but I'd save the money for a couple of beers and a coke for the six year old.

This walled complex would be impressive in a city - here in rural France it is unexpectedly impressive. The architect had grand designs for a city here in the middle of nowhere, with the salt-works (sited here because the trees were here, while the salt had to come from miles away as brine through wooden pipes).The place in itself is impressive, and there is a good audio tour. The exteriors of the buildings are what one goes to see. The interiors (and only three or four may be visited) are disappointing. Although there is a display on the theme of salt production and a display of the projects of the architect, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, there is nothing that shows the industrial archaeology of the site. But one goes for the extraordinary architecture. (The themed gardens are an added bonus!)

The positives - this is a lovely building, the exhibition is interesting, and the themed gardens are fun.However, this seems like a museum from a different age ,, the halls that housed all salt production are effectively empty ,, surely they could have found or recreated some contemporary machinery to bring the experience to life. The History of Salt exhibition space takes a fascinating subject & presents presents it very blandly - it just felt to me that the curator hadn't visited a modern museum for the past 20 years. I don't want Disney, & I don't think people should be spoon fed, but this site could be so much more than it gives us.

We were camping nearby and thought we’d pay a quick visit to the local museum and ended up spending half a day at a Unesco world Heritage site . The most interesting part was the model village and the Utopian ideas of the architect – Ledoux. He only built a fraction of the village he had intended but in one of the buildings on the semicircular site there is a museum dedicated to this and other projects he envisaged. Some of the designs look ambitious even by twenty first century standards. There are a number of houses/apartments he designed for workers at the salt works and behind them are 17 individually designed gardens maintained by students at local colleges.

The architecture of the saltworks is impressive and I was surprised to see how massive the place is. Buildings housed workers, the central administration, the works themselves. All is arranged in a pleasingly harmonious semi-circle of buildings. An English audiotour guides you through the displays and the buildings. The architect has his own little museum which was surprisingly interesting.I wouldn't have gone out of my way to visit this site but since we were passing nearby we stopped in. Now we're glad we did as it is an educational regarding salt production and the history and lore of salt.

we only stopped for a meal on the corner on our travels but we went into this attraction and passed a couple of hours looking into its past and browsing the various gardens to the house the workers lived in, the whole place is worth the visit and to look into how the design of the site was put together along with other projects the designer was involved in ,worth a visit ,and food on the corner is ok but not cheap

I struggle with what I didn't love about this site. It is architecturally interesting but on the day we visited it was fairly deserted. Some of the buildings have art exhibits in them. There are themed gardens planted behind the buildings. The theme of the site was on the immigrant experience. It just wasn't as engaging as I'd expected -- even as I walked through I couldn't figure out why I would tell someone to visit other than to see the buildings (and for the fee, I'm not sure it's the best value).

We visited this site with a group interested in art and achitecture but for me there was the added interest in the history of salt production. This example of development of controlled society; here an example where in exchange for decent food and shelter, workers gave up all freedoms (they were for all intents and purposes jailed - once provide with a home they could never leave). This is a great example of how the monarchy "sold" the populous on the idea of utopia for their own gain. At the same time these saltworks provided for Ledoux an opportunity to combine new ideas with revival of ancient styles and to showcase his talents. His plans were far more extensive than what was actually built and many of this other achievements and plans are exhibited in the attached museum. Only a few artifacts of the the salt workes themselves are exhibited to the public along with miniture models and description of how it all worked. Few folks outside the salt industry realize how important salt product was and is today to life on earth! One should visit to get a sense of the absolute control of the monarchy over the lives of their workers; certainly hardly more than slaves.

This beautiful building, designed by Ledoux, is absolutely worth a visit! The huge building is impressive, especially from the outside. The exhibition with scale models by the famous architect is very interesting and a must see when you are in La Saline Royale.

I really enjoyed the visit. The part which houses models of Ledoux's creations is absolutely unbelievable. He was such a visionary! The exhibition about salt was excellent too. Staff were all helpful and pleasant, even though they weren't always able to answer questions. However, I feel like more could be done out of such a brilliant place. To begin with, maybe a few rooms could be re-created to show how to people who worked there used to live? Secondly, I found some parts of the exhibition confusing - some clearer explanations as to what they used to do with the salty water would be nice. Finally, no cafe??? I would have loved to sip a coffee in such beautiful surroundings - and I bet I'm not the only one!

The rooms at the Saline Royale are an oasis of calm in a fascinating historic site. If you have an interest in history or architecture, you will love staying here. While the site may be old, the rooms are not. They are bright, light-filled rooms with modern decor and ultra-modern bathrooms. The accommodations are somewhat basic, developed with a focus on energy and water conservation. The staff is friendly and very helpful both in the hotel and the historical site. The gardens, which our room overlooked are very impressive. They now are used for shows and demonstration of various types of gardens/gardening. At the time we were there, they were quite beautiful. If I were still gardening, the site would be worth a visit just for the ideas I could get from it. Although the rooms are very modern and new (the mural on the wall is dated 2012), the building is 240 years old and doesn't have an elevator. As is typical with buildings of this age, the walls are so thick, that WiFi may not reach your room. In that case, you will have to take your computer to the Grand Hall to access the internet. We will definitely be back but I hope by the next time we come, there is a chair with a cushioned seat in the room and a softer brand of "papier hygenique" will be installed in the bathroom.

I was very impressed with its unique architecture and the great sizes of the complex, but as a museum it was "static" - those large buildings are almost wide. In the central building there are only the photos, pictures and so on. No mechanisms in action, no models where you can watch the process - no "motion" at all in comparison with other similar industrial museums.

if you like a unified architectural style, you'll love this place! Aside from the actual buildings on the site, the museum gives you an insight into the creative genius of Ledoux, the architect, who was 200 or so years ahead of his time. Surprisingly, many of his thoughts foreshadow the pavilions at the 1938 NYC World's Fair.

The grand architecture of the royal saltworks highlight the importance of salt in an age before freezers were common place.As with many historical sites in France the external building work has been lovingly restored to display the grand architecture and grand ideal in which the place was built. However, behind the facade little of historical importance remains. It's worth a visit, but to say that it is a "must see" would be misleading.