22nd Saltmakers’ Festival on the feast of St. Jernej

In the landscape of “countless swaying mirrors”, in the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, the traditional Saltmakers’ Festival on the Feast of St Jernej will take place again this year. The programme will begin on Saturday, 29 August, when visitors will follow in the footsteps of salt workers among the salt pans, taste authentic homemade dishes, enjoy the music of Istrian musicians and discover the life of a salt-making family. On Sunday, 30 August, the celebration will continue in front of the Church of St Jernej in Seča. After Holy Mass, there will be a gathering with locals, friends and musicians, marking the conclusion of this year’s festival. A special note will be added by the poetry of Tone Pavček, who expressed in his verses his admiration for the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park – a place of authentic experiences, rich heritage and breathtaking views.

Program

Saturday, 29 August 2026

• 9:30 – Free one-hour guided tours of Piran. (Meeting point in front of the Venetian House)

Salt Workers’ Square, Lera area – market stalls

• 10:00–13:30 / 16:00–20:30 – Opening of the market and presentation of participants: Soline d.o.o. and Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Strunjan Landscape Park, Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum Piran, Portorož Tourist Board, Taperin Tourist Association, local producers and artisans, and food providers.
• 10:30 – Opening of the art exhibition Sečovlje Salina Nature Park in the Palm of Your Hand, Istria in Your Heart, organised by the Vrtnica Association of Fine Artists. The exhibition will be on view from 29 August to 30 September 2026.
• 11:00 – Musical puppet show for children, The Little White Heron, Nika Solce.
• 12:00 – Guided tour of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park.
• 10:00–13:30 – Workshops for children: painting taperini, colouring postcards, salt weighing – “salt merchant for a day”, bread baking with stamps, making kroštole, creating sachets with salt and herbs, and making flowers from fabric and paper. Organised by TD Taperin and the Anbot Association.

The Salt Worker’s Secret: Using an interactive mobile app, join the adventures of salt worker Pino, who guides you through the Fontanigge area of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park. By solving tasks, quizzes and puzzles, discover the natural environment of the salt pans, the salt-making heritage and the life of salt workers in the past. The salt crystals you collect will lead you to the Museum of Salt Making, where a reward awaits you. Portorož Tourist Board. The app was developed in cooperation with the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Soline d.o.o. and the Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum Piran.

• 16:00–20:30 – Market at Salt Workers’ Square, Lera, Sečovlje Salina Nature Park.

Workshop on preparing herbal salt with renowned mentors Marija Vulič, BSc in Biology, and Mojca Vulič, in cooperation with the Za lepoto in zdravje Fit4Fun Futura association.

• 16:00 – Lera, entrance to the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park: guided tour and opening of the walking trail dedicated to poet Tone Pavček, accompanied by recitations of Pavček’s poems by pupils of Sečovlje Primary School.
• 16:15 – Dance performance The Crystal Bearer, followed by a recitation of Tone Pavček’s poem Sonce in Vetrnice.

Performed by Noemi Bak, Swank Dance School, mentor Romana Fičur; organised by Zavod Abakkum.

• 17:30 – White Harvest: ceremonial presentation of awards to salt workers and watermen, followed by a demonstration of salt harvesting.

For the highest quantity of table salt and fleur de sel produced during the 2026 season, Soline d.o.o. will present awards to the best salt workers among employees and tenants, as well as to the best newcomer. An award for outstanding work will also be presented to the best waterman.

• 18:00 – Presentation of the book Tra calli e campielli… risi e bisi e baccalà by Nives Zudič Antonič, moderated by Martina Vocci.

In the afternoon, the following will join us at the market: Salt-Making Family / Famea dei salineri, the Voga Veneta Piran group from the Giuseppe Tartini Italian Community of Piran, Soline d.o.o. and Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Strunjan Landscape Park, Taperin Tourist Association, Anbot Association from Piran, and Batana Salvorina.

• 18:30–20:00 – Cultural programme featuring the Georgios Mixed Choir, Marino Kranjac – Zingelci duo, and the group Salvore a la veciaia.

Sunday, 30 August 2026

• 10:00 – Solemn Holy Mass celebrating the Feast of St Bartholomew – locally known as the Feast of San Bortolo – at the Church of St Bartholomew in Seča, with the traditional blessing of salt. During the offertory, worshippers will receive a bag of blessed salt.
  Welcome address: Elena Bulfon Bernetič, President of the Giuseppe Tartini Italian Community of Piran. Holy Mass will be celebrated by Matjaž Kravos, parish priest of Sečovlje.
• 11:00 – Gathering in front of the Church of St Bartholomew with a cultural programme featuring the Pergula Men’s Choir from Sveti Peter and the music group Sol La Si.
  Participants: Sečovlje Parish, Giuseppe Tartini Italian Community with La Famea dei salineri, TD Taperin, and residents of Sečovlje, Seča and Nožed.

During the event, don’t miss:

• Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, Lera: guided tours at 12:00 and 16:00, free admission.
• Caserma Gallery: art exhibition.
• 09:00–19:00, Museum of Salt Making, Fontanigge: guided tours at 10:15, 14:15 and 17:15, free admission.
• 09:00–12:00 / 17:00–21:00, Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum Piran: free admission.
• Monfort collection: free admission.
• Museum of Salt Making, Fontanigge: documentary photography exhibition SALT-MAKING PHOTO ESSAYS by Dr Maja Bjelica. The exhibition is part of the activities of the basic research project A Grain of Salt, Crystallising Coexistence: Salt Making as Experiential Environmental Wisdom (J6-50196), carried out at the Science and Research Centre Koper. The project is funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS). On view until 30 September 2026.
• 09:00–12:00 / 17:00–22:00, Magazin Grando – TRACES OF SALT: Sečovlje Salina Nature Park Between Landscape, Work and Heritage, an exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of Magazin Grando. Exhibition texts were contributed by Dr Flavio Bonin and Daniela Milotti Bertoni. On view until 4 September 2026.
• Saturday 10:00–18:00, Sunday 10:00–15:00, Tartini House: free admission.
• 09:00–12:00 / 18:00–22:00, Mediadom Pyrhani in Piran: free admission.
• 09:00–17:00, Strunjan Landscape Park: at 10:00, a free one-hour guided tour of the Strunjan Landscape Park and the Stjuža lagoon; meeting point at the Visitor Centre (Strunjan 152).

Free shuttle buses Lera – Fontanigge – Lera

Lera – Fontanigge: 10:00, 14:00, 17:00
Fontanigge – Lera: 11:30, 15:30, 18:30

An electric tourist train runs to the Museum of Salt Making.

You are invited to experience salt-making tradition and the unique atmosphere of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park.