Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum And Exhibit Hall
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum and Exhibit Hall
Der Mensch bezwingt den Kosmos (The Potsdam Mosaic)
De Tijdtrap
Qadian rooftop, Minaratul Masih, and Masjid Mubarak.
Aqsa Mosque
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
about 8 hours ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
about 9 hours ago
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
1 day ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Cardona Cardona Salt Mountain

Cardona Salt Mountain

Mine shafts and hard pastries await visitors at this massive mountain of salt.

Cardona, Spain

Added By
Auros Harman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The salt mines.   jqmj (Queralt) on Flickr
The salt mines.   jqmj (Queralt) on Flickr
Cardona Salt Mountain   Jordi D. A. on Wikimedia Commons
More of the salt mines.   jqmj (Queralt) on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Cardona Salt Mountain (Muntanya De Sal) is a huge geologic formation made almost entirely of the world's favorite edible mineral.

Formed two million years ago when low-density salt was pushed up through the much harder materials surrounding it, the Cardona Salt Mountain is one of the largest domes of its kind in the world, and unique in Europe. While small amounts of other minerals pervade the savory hill, the salt pile would have a near translucent quality if not for the thin layer of reddish clay coating the exterior. The significance of the mountain was recognized as early as the middle ages when Romans began exploiting the mountain for its salt, which began to bolster the young Cardonian economy. With the invention of industrial mining techniques, a mine was built into the side of the mountain and a thriving facility formed at its base as excavators dragged enormous amounts of potash (water-soluble) salt from the innards of the hill. In addition to the mineral export, the locals of Cardona began making salt sculptures to sell and invented a number of hard, salty pastries unique to the area. 

After the mine closed in the 1990's, the salt mountain was rechristened the Cardona Salt Mountain Cultural Park and the former excavation operation was opened for tourists. The facilities surrounding the mountain have been turned into a museum where visitors can check out the equipment and machinery used in the dig, but the real attraction is the tunnel into the salt mountain. Guests are given hard hats and allowed to journey into the old mine shafts. The interior of the salt mountain is covered in majestic salt formations jutting up from the ground and hanging down from the ceiling.

The Cardona Salt Mines are not only a geologic wonder but a staggering example of how delicious the world can be.  

Related Tags

Salt Mountains Geology Mines

Community Contributors

Added By

AurosHarman

Edited By

vturiserra, postscript, EricGrundhauser

  • vturiserra
  • postscript
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

October 23, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/enoturisme/establiment.asp?codi=162
  • http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta%C3%B1a_de_sal_de_Cardona
  • http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-16/travel/tr-1143_1_salt-mountain
  • http://geographyfieldwork.com/CardonaSaltMountain.htm#embed
Cardona Salt Mountain
Unnamed Road
Cardona, 08261
Spain
41.904869, 1.68336
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Castle of Cardona

Cardona, Spain

miles away

Torre de Vallferosa

Torà, Spain

miles away

Cave of Saint Ignatius

Manresa, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cardona

Cardona

Spain

Places 2

Nearby Places

Castle of Cardona

Cardona, Spain

miles away

Torre de Vallferosa

Torà, Spain

miles away

Cave of Saint Ignatius

Manresa, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cardona

Cardona

Spain

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

Wonders of Salt

List

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • Ruggles Mine

    Grafton, New Hampshire

    Ruggles Mine

    Generations of rockhounds got their start at this beloved, historic mine.

  • Pine Creek Mine, seen from the Pine Creek trail. The prominent drainage behind the mine is Morgan Creek, which was the access to the upper workings.

    Scheelite, California

    Pine Creek Tungsten Mine

    For decades, the largest tungsten producer in the U.S. was located in a spectacular setting in the high Sierra Nevada, with some of the workings over 11,000 feet.

  • Glitter mountain.

    Littlefield, Arizona

    Glitter Mountain

    This old selenite mine is dotted with tiny crystals that make it shimmer like it's covered in glitter.

  • An icy pond forms just behind the brink of the viewpoint.

    Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

    Haunted Vista

    A rock maze opens up to a panoramic viewpoint at an abandoned mine full of ghost stories.

  • Russia

    Ulakhan-Sis Range

    A remote Arctic mountain range is home to "granite cities" found almost nowhere else.

  • Lake Chelan above Stehekin (on shore to left).

    Washington

    Lake Chelan

    A narrow fjord-like lake, the third-deepest in the United States, runs for over 50 miles into the Cascades of Washington state.

  • Aktau Mountains

    Kazakhstan

    Aktau Mountains

    These rugged, color-stained mountains hold the secrets of the Kazakh desert.

  • Looking down at the water-carved tunnels

    Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

    Trümmelbach Falls

    Visit Europe's largest subterranean waterfall, carved by water from the glaciers of the towering peaks surrounding the valley.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.