If there is a place in Montenegro that proves in the most beautiful way how human work and nature can create something perfect, then it is definitely the Ulcinj Saltworks. Located in the very south of the country, entirely within the territory of the municipality of Ulcinj, this area has been built and shaped by human hands for decades for the industrial production of salt. However, fate wanted those spacious, artificial pools to eventually become one of the most important and ecologically valuable wetland ecosystems in the entire Mediterranean.
Today Solana is protected as a nature park and included in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. The landscape of Solana is completely unusual and dramatically different from any other part of our country. It is a huge complex of shallow pools divided by embankments, where seawater was pumped and evaporated under the hot Ulcinj sun for centuries. It is this specific combination of shallow, warm, salty and semi-salty water, together with an abundance of mud and specific vegetation, that created an ideal table and home for an incredible number of living organisms.
In global environmental circles, the Ulcinj Salt Flats are recognized as a real ornithological paradise and one of the most important stops on the so-called Adriatic migratory route. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds find much-needed rest, shelter and food here during their long and exhausting journey across the sea. Over 250 species of birds have been registered on Solana, which is more than half of the total number of bird species in Europe! However, the absolute stars and trademark of this park are the beautiful, elegant flamingos (flamingoes) that live in large flocks at the pools and with their distinctive pink color give the entire landscape some special, exotic magic. In addition to them, endangered species such as the curly pelican, various herons, woodpeckers and woodpeckers regularly stay and nest here. In addition to the incredible bird life, Solana preserves a specific flora, so-called halophytic plants, which are unique in that they can survive and thrive on extremely salty soil, creating beautiful reddish carpets on the dried-out parts of the pool during autumn.
The cultural and historical significance of this place is inextricably linked to the identity and tradition of the local population of the municipality of Ulcinj. For decades, the salt pan was the breadwinner of this region, a place where generations of Ulcinj residents worked and collected "white gold". The old plants, excavators, wooden rails and wagonettes that are still standing inside the park today are not only a reminder of the industrial past, but represent a valuable cultural and technical heritage. Today, a walk through the Ulcinj Salt Flats offers incredible peace, far from the summer coastal crowds, it is a space where only the sound of the wind and the voices of thousands of birds can be heard, and where every step gives the feeling that you are in a completely different, hidden world where nature still has the main say.