Salins-les-Bains

Sister cities

• Horb am Neckar

History

Salins was an important city in Celtic times and became a Roman known as . The territory of Salins, which was enfeoffed in the 10th century by the Abbey of Saint Maurice-en-Valais to the counts of Mâcon, remained in possession of their descendants till 1175. Maurette de Salins (1137-1200), heiress of this dynasty, brought the lordship to the , and her granddaughter sold it in 1225 to Duke Hugh IV of Burgundy, who ceded it in 1237 to John, Count of Chalon in exchange for the county of Chalon. John's heirs - counts and dukes of Burgundy, emperors and kings of the House of Austria - bore the title of (Lord of Salins). In 1477 Salins was taken by the French and temporarily made the seat of the of Franche-Comté by King Louis XI of France. The French re-took the town in 1668 and in 1674, and thenceforward it remained in their power. In 1825 the town was almost destroyed by fire. In 1871, it successfully resisted German troops in the Franco-Prussian War. French composer Charles Galibert (1826–1858) was born in Salins-les-Bains. Until the early-20th century, the slopes surrounding the town were largely covered in vines, which were however almost entirely abandoned after the phylloxera crisis of the mid-19th century decimated the vineyards. Little trace of this former activity remains today. For much of the 20th century, the town was also famed for its potters, but today only three craftsmen continue to uphold this local tradition.

Geography

Salins is situated in the narrow Valley of the Furieuse, between two fortified hills, Fort Belin and Fort Saint-André, while to the north rises Mont Poupet (851 m or 2,791 ft).

Most-observed species

• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  386
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  354
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  352
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  309
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  292
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  290
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  244
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  243

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2023-03-22
  1 km NW of Pont-de-Roide, France
• M 4.1 — 2021-12-24
  2 km WSW of Blamont, France
• M 4.1 — 2017-07-01
  7 km E of Châtel-Saint-Denis, Switzerland
• M 4.1 — 2016-12-03
  2 km SE of Damparis, France
• M 2.8 — 2008-10-31
  5 km NE of Boëge, France
• M 2.7 — 2008-07-22
  3 km N of Devecey, France