Sečovlje Salina Nature Park is one of those places where time seems to move more slowly. Hidden among the salt fields is a story that goes far beyond the sight of white salt and blue skies. This is a place where Salt keepers lived and worked for centuries, and where their heritage can still be felt at every turn.
But what if you could discover the salt pans in a different way? Not only by observing them, but through storytelling, play and exploration? This is exactly what The Salt Keeper’s Secret offers—an interactive experience in the NEXTO app that takes visitors on an exploratory journey through the Fontanigge area and invites them to uncover the secrets of the Salt keepers in a fun, educational and slightly magical way.
Adventure where salt tells stories
As soon as you enter the world of the Sečovlje Salt Pans, you quickly sense that this landscape holds something special. Nature, history and the lives of people who knew how to listen to the sun, wind and sea come together here. With the NEXTO app, this place gains an additional dimension—it becomes the setting for an interactive adventure guided by the talkative Salt keeper Pino.
Pino is no ordinary guide. He is the guardian of the salt-making stories, revealing how Salt keepers once lived, what their daily work was like, why salt was so valuable and why respecting nature was so important. With him as your guide, the salt pans are no longer merely a beautiful landscape, but a place filled with living stories, tasks, questions and discoveries.
Along the way, you will collect magical salt crystals, solve quizzes and puzzles, and uncover hidden details of the salt-making landscape. Every step brings you closer to understanding a place where work, patience and natural elements combined to create one of the most recognisable stories of Slovenian Istria.
When a walk becomes a game
The salt keeper’s secret is designed for families, children, school groups and all curious visitors who wish to explore the salt pans in a more playful way. Instead of a traditional tour, the app guides you from one point to the next, gradually revealing the story of life in the salt pans through tasks and narration.
As you explore, you will observe Salt keepers’ houses, water channels, salt-tolerant plants, birds and the Dragonja River, which gives this part of the salt pans its distinctive character. The app encourages you to stop, look around and notice details that you might otherwise overlook during an ordinary walk.
This is precisely where the experience draws its charm—it is not simply about reaching the end of the route, but about beginning to see the surrounding landscape differently along the way. Every clue and every task brings you closer to the story of the Salt keepers and the unique balance between people and nature.
Nature, heritage and fun in one experience
The Sečovlje salt pans are renowned for their exceptional natural diversity. They are home to numerous bird species, plants adapted to the saline environment, and a landscape that changes throughout the day with the wind, light and water. The Salt keeper’s secret experience connects this natural richness with the cultural heritage of salt making and presents it in a way that appeals to modern visitors.
The NEXTO app does not replace the place itself, but helps visitors understand it better. It encourages active exploration, listening, observation and reflection. Through play, children learn about nature and heritage, while adults can rediscover how rewarding it is to explore with curiosity.
No special prior knowledge is required for this experience. All you need is a phone, the NEXTO app, some time and a desire to explore. The route guides you through the story, while you follow at your own pace—with opportunities to stop, take photographs, watch birds or simply enjoy the tranquillity of the salt pans.
The journey ends at the Museum of salt making
Every good mystery needs an ending. In The Salt keeper’s secret, yours awaits at the Museum of salt making, where the exploratory route concludes with the revelation of the salt worker’s true secret. There, visitors gain an even deeper insight into the lives of the salt workers, their homes, their work and their daily routines, which were closely connected to nature.
For younger visitors and adults alike, the end of the route is a special moment, as the collected salt crystals lead to a small surprise. The exploration concludes with the feeling that you have not only visited the salt pans, but also gained a better understanding of them.
Before your visit, we recommend downloading the NEXTO app in advance and checking the opening hours of the Museum of salt making and the Fontanigge area, as they may vary depending on the season.
An experience for every curious explorer
The salt keeper’s secret is an excellent choice for anyone who would like to experience the Sečovlje salt pans in a different way. It is designed for those who enjoy nature, stories, local heritage and interactive experiences. It is particularly well suited to a family outing, as it introduces children to the history of salt making in a way that is easy to understand, entertaining and filled with small challenges.
This is more than just a walk through the salt pans. It is a journey through time, in which salt tells the stories of the people who lived and worked here and created the heritage we admire today. It is an experience that invites visitors to observe more slowly, listen more carefully and experience the salt pans with all their senses.
Trip tip
Choose the morning or late afternoon for your exploration, when the light is at its most beautiful and the temperatures are more pleasant for walking. Bring water, a hat, sun protection and a fully charged phone. Before arriving, download the NEXTO app, select The salt keeper’s secret experience and immerse yourself in a story that will guide you through one of the most remarkable corners of Slovenian Istria.
