Oysters, Salt and Walls - Beautiful Gem of Ston, Croatia

 

Fresh and sweet - these most beautiful oysters from Ston

Saturday, July 2 - Trip Day 3

We'd already had a full (and hot) day with Boris, visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina.  But we still had some fun treats to experience.  As we crossed the border back into Croatia and headed south toward Dubrovnik, we made a detour to the town of Ston on the Peljesac peninsula.

Ston is famous for oysters, salt and the longest fortified walls in Europe.  The bay is filled with oyster and mussel farms, which supply all the restaurants in the region.  The entrance to the bay is guarded to ensure no boats enter the bay, which avoids any pollution.  Only the licensed farming boats are allowed out in the waters.

I told Boris I was a big fan of oysters, so we stopped at a little al fresco bar/cafe to sample the local fare.  I ordered three types of oysters - raw (the best), garlic and olive oil, and fried with aioli sauce.  They were amazing - fresh and sweet with a little salty after taste.  They set the bar for the best I've ever tasted!

Oyster and mussel farming in the bay near Ston

Only the harvesting boats (top, square shaped) are allowed in the bay near the oysters

Baca,  little al fresco bar in stone, where we stopped to sample the local delicacies

An oyster feast, prepared three ways

Ston was an important source of revenue for the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) in medieval times.  Its salt works generated an important resource to be used for trading with Asia and across the Mediterranean.  In the 14th and 15th century, Ragusa constructed defensive walls around Ston to protect their resources.  

The walls were 7 km long - the longest defensive walls in Europe.  They fell into disrepair in more recent centuries, but extensive renovation since the 1960's has restored 5 km to its former glory.  You can walk along the length of the walls, and in the fall, a marathon incorporates the track along the walls.

Moated Fort Kastio, at the terminus of one of Ston's defensive walls

Ston's city walls are sometimes called Europe's equivalent of China's Great Wall

The walls include three forts,  41 towers and seven bastions

Can you imagine running a marathon along these walls?

We visited the salt works in Ston, which has a tradition of harvesting salt from the sea for over 4000 years.  The salt is still produced in the same traditional way, with only the assistance of the sea, sun and wind, via evaporation.  There are 58 pools which are flooded during the months from April to November.  Salt production lasts between one to two months, depending on conditions and the weather.

There are nine pools for the final crystallization process - all named for saints except one, Mundo (world), which was given to the poor and in need. Two pools had granite bottoms, which produced the salt that was sent to Vienna to the Austria-Hungarian court during the Dubrovnik Republic times.  The nine crystalline pools can produce 500 tons of salt a year!

The first crusting of salt during the evaporation process produces large, white crystals, known as Flower of Salt.  A bag of 100 grams of this special product sells for 14 euro.  The next salt to be harvested sells for 4 euro for 300 grams - still a lovely form of salt, but not as fancy as Flower of Salt.

A tram car filled with salt from the evaporation of sea water

These salt pools have been used for millennia - they were just filled a week ago

Michael (right), our guide Boris (middle), and museum worker (left) at the salt works

We watched a film detailing the salt production - and, of course, I had to buy some!

Extra bonus - a plum tree on the property, loaded with these delicious, ripe plums.