Salt trade roat
1. Introduction: What are trade routes?
Trade routes are more than just roads. They symbolize connections between people, cultures, and entire epochs. They served as highways for the exchange of goods, knowledge, and ideas.
Some routes were established over millennia, leaving behind stories that continue to influence our lives.
Today, we will talk about one of these legendary routes: the Salt Route. It was not just a path for transporting an essential commodity; it was a whole system that connected regions, states, and epochs, leaving a significant mark on history.
2. Where did the Salt Route run?
The Salt Route was a network of roads used to deliver salt from Galicia to neighboring and distant regions. The route began in salt production centers such as Drohobych, Stebnyk, and Stara Sól.
From there, the goods traveled to Volhynia, Podillia, the Dnipro region, and further to Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, and even other European countries. The farther the salt was transported, the higher gets it's value. For centuries, these routes served as the foundation of trade and development for entire regions.
3. Why was salt so important?
In ancient times, salt was called "white gold," and this was no exaggeration. It was indispensable: without salt, it was impossible to preserve food for long periods, which meant that salt literally ensured people's survival.
Its value was so high that it was even used as a currency to pay for goods. This is why salt trade became one of the most profitable industries in medieval Europe.
4. Who transported the salt?
Chumaks—Ukrainian merchants and transporters carried salt over great distances. Their main means of transportation were large wooden carts, called mazhi or harby, pulled by oxen. Oxen were hardy animals, capable of carrying heavy loads over long distances.
In addition to land routes, the Chumaks used waterways. Salt was transported by small boats along rivers and bays. For larger volumes, they used dubas—large wooden boats that traveled in caravans. This ensured quick and efficient delivery of goods.
5. Financial benefits for the boyars
Galician boyars held a monopoly on salt extraction and trade, controlling the most important salt deposits in the region. Salt was a strategic commodity, ensuring them consistent profits. As a result, they enriched themselves, built fortified estates, financed armies, and actively participated in political processes.
Their economic independence from princely power made them a significant force in the Galician-Volhynian state.
6. Drohobych—the heart of salt production
The center of salt production in Galicia was Drohobych. The city’s coat of arms is adorned with nine cones of salt, symbolizing the prosperity that salt brought. During the Austro-Hungarian period, daily salt production in the city could reach up to 8 tons.
At the saltworks here, the method of salt extraction has remained almost unchanged since the princely era. This process is called “salt boiling” or salt-making, and it involves:
- Extracting brine, saturated with salt, from special wells. This brine is called ropa.
- Evaporating the brine over an open fire, fueled by wood.
- Forming “cones” of salt—cone-shaped portions of salt.
With this product, thousands of caravans set out along the Salt Route to different corners of Europe.
Chumaks from various parts of Ukraine came for Drohobych salt—from Podillia, distant Bratslavshchyna, Kholmshchyna, and Volhynia. At Volhynian ports on the rivers Sluch and Horyn, Drohobych salt was loaded onto river vessels called komyagy and floated down the Pripyat River and further along the Dnipro to Kyiv itself.
• The Coat of Arms of Drohobych, or Why Nine Barrels of Salt?
The "Nine Salt Barrels of Drohobych" have consistently appeared on city seals since the 15th century. But why nine? The number nine symbolizes the eight suburbs and one central town that made up Drohobych at that time.
Throughout history, Drohobych's coat of arms has represented the prosperity and wealth of its citizens. It consists of nine barrels of Drohobych salt. Upon closer examination, the blue field of the shield displays nine silver salt barrels arranged in three rows: four in the top row, three in the middle, and only two in the bottom row.
The shield is framed with a decorative cartouche and crowned with a silver city crown featuring three battlements. According to local legend, the earliest symbolic emblem of Drohobych from the princely era was a cart filled with Drohobych salt. At the time, the cart also served as a unit of weight measurement, simplifying the work of customs officers.
7. Tustan—a medieval customs point
One of the most interesting stops along the Salt Route was Tustan. This unique fortress, carved into the rocks, served as a customs post where trade caravans were stopped.
Here, goods were inspected, customs duties were collected, and merchants were protected from attackers. Tustan was not only a strategic point but also a symbol of the region’s economic and political power.
8. The magic of salt: from brine to history
Interestingly, the salt extraction technology at the Drohobych saltworks is part of Ukraine's intangible heritage. Today, the oldest enterprise preserving millennia-old traditions continues to operate here.
We spoke with Ms. Oksana, an employee of the saltworks, who shared some unique details:
- "Salt extraction here is not just a job—it’s a way of life. We dream of creating a museum at the saltworks to preserve this history for future generations."
9. The Salt Route as part of our heritage
The Salt Route is not just a road; it is a witness to history. It tells the story of trade, politics, culture, and human connections. Through this route, our region gained its role in the grand history of medieval Europe.
Roads may change, but the memory of them endures. The Salt Route reminds us that even the simplest things, like salt, can unite entire worlds.