Sea salt in stockpiles called camelles, Camargue, France

Camelles rising up to 21 meters high, the Salin de Giraud are the largest sea salt works in Europe.

The salt pans are filled with sea water between March and September where sun and wind evaporate the water and the saturated solution is crystallized into salt. It is harvested and stored in great mounds waiting to be sold. Salt has been harvested in the Camargue since Roman times but it became an industry in the 19th century. Around 1 million tons are produced each year and

the salt is primarily used for de-icing roads and industrial products some of which is manufactured into sodium carbonate for the Marseille soap industry across the Rhone.