The main peculiarity of Leintz Gatzaga, located in Gipuzkoa and on the border with Álava, is the salt culture, which began to be celebrated on Salt Day in 2016. This is the eighth edition of the salt festival, which passed from autumn to spring, on May 19, from 10:00 until dusk.

“Without forgetting the culture of salt and its ways of doing, but from today we want to make the culture of salt.” Aitor Larrañaga, head of the Salt Museum, has described this. On Sunday many activities have been organized to value the salt of Dorleta that they produce in it: in the morning there will be a fair in the plaza, it will be cooked directly for the attendees, there will be a mountain exit to the nacedero of the River Deba, a guided visit to the Salt Museum, several games and workshops, and there will also be music and dance in the afternoon.

Larrañaga recalled that the production process of Dorleta salt is the only one in the entire Iberian Peninsula: “It is the only one that heats the salt of the spring with the technique of forced evaporation”. This technique has led them to have a great “relationship with the forests of the area”, as according to Larrañaga hardwood is necessary for this.

Citizens have been invited to come on Sunday to learn more about the saline valley, learn the history of salt and value this product. The organization has announced the installation of a special bus service Lurraldebus, which has encouraged the population of Alto Deba to use.

Salt for sale in Dorleta

Besides Salt Day, you can visit the Leintz Gatzaga Salt Museum all year round. In addition, Aitor Larrañaga stresses that currently there is the possibility of buying Dorleta salt in the local shops. “A mineral-rich, handmade salt that strengthens the taste of our kitchens’ food.” In fact, it recognizes that in the 1970s the production and marketing of salt was considered “lost”, but that in recent years they have worked to modify it and recover the heritage of salt.

Full programme of 19 May:

(10:00-14:00) Salt fair and its products. On the plaza. (A basket will be drawn between buyers).

(11:00) Distribution to the tomato plant of Aretxabaleta. On the plaza.

(12:00) Showcooking. On the plaza.

(10:00) Mountain Exit: PR-Gi-37 Hiruerreketa. Know where the River Deba is born.

(11:00) Guided visit to the salt museum (in Basque). Compulsory reserve.

(12:00) Guided tour of the salt museum (Spanish). Compulsory reserve.

(11:00) Workshop for processing salt soaps. Pediment. Compulsory reserve.

(11:00) Wooden square games. Pediment.

(12:00) Invent the weight. Pediment.

(14:30) Musical performance: Sei Pistols & Trabuko bat.

(18:00) Dance and music show: Tio Teronen Semeak.

They request that you contact the Office of Tourism of Alto Deba to make the activity reserve infoturismo@debagoiena.eus, 943 79 64 63.