Museu de la Sal Josep Arnau

About the museum

The Museu de la Sal Josep Arnau is a private initiative that makes known the local tradition of working salt in Cardona, based on the work of the craftsman Josep Arnau i Ratera, born in the town in 1889. Around 1930, after a decade of working salt to order, the Arnau-Grané family kept at home a cabinet of carved salt pieces, along with other curiosities such as stones from the salt mountain and salt stalactites and stalagmites.

In 1934 the family built a house on the carrer del Portalet that served as both home and museum. In 1970 works on a new industrial slaughterhouse forced a move, and the museum took over the ground floor of a house on the carrer de Pompeu Fabra. Thirty-six years later, the workshop and collection of Josep Arnau were moved to the vaults of the former Crestó butcher's shop, on the plaça de Santa Eulàlia.

The premises, under the arcade (soportal) of the Casa Soler, have architectural origins in the 13th century and were one of the two butcher's shops of medieval Cardona. The museum displays natural and carved salt pieces, with an educational exhibition that reviews the life of Josep Arnau, the work of Josep and of his daughter Montserrat Arnau, the relationship with the salt valley, the industrialization of Cardona and the history of salt craftsmanship. At the end of the visit there is a shop selling salt objects from Cardona.

Highlights

• Workshop and collection of salt pieces by Josep Arnau
• Former Crestó butcher's shop, of medieval origin
• Natural salt and salt crystal pieces
• Exhibition on salt craftsmanship in Cardona
• Shop with salt objects from Cardona

Permanent exhibition

• Colección y obrador de Josep Arnau – Natural and carved salt pieces and the craftsman's small workshop, with areas devoted to his life, the work of Josep and Montserrat Arnau and the history of salt craftsmanship in Cardona.

Operated by

Iniciativa particular (familia Arnau)

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with salt objects from Cardona, made in the tradition of master Arnau and with more modern techniques, and craft items related to the potash mining tradition.

Events & venue rental

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Plan your visit