With a hint of Swiss Alpine salt
Ricola's new herbal drops combine refreshing herbal flavors with bright citrus notes and a hint of Swiss Alpine salt. The deliciously mouthwatering taste is inspired by two of the Swiss Alps' greatest natural treasures: aromatic herbs and pure rock salt. It’s well known that the lush meadows of the Swiss Alps are home to exceptional herbs. But where does the salt come from? To find out, we have to go 350 meters deep into the mountain.
In the Swiss canton of Valais lies one of Switzerland’s natural treasures: the pristine salt that’s been hidden in the mountain rocks for millions of years. The salt mines of Bex are Switzerland's oldest active salt mines – a maze of tunnels and caverns, some of which are still actively in use today. Known as the “white gold” of the Swiss Alps, this remarkable salt has been prized for its purity and exceptional quality. It is a natural taste enhancer that elevates Ricola's mouthwatering herbal drops.
Through millions of years
The journey into the salt mines begins with a mini train ride that transits from bright daylight into deep darkness. Traveling through the narrow tunnels carved from solid rock by generations of miners, it is easy to lose one’s sense of direction – and the sense of time. A visit to the salt mines of Bex is more than a trip to the underground. It's a journey through centuries of Swiss history and millions of years of Alpine geology.
A story carved in stone
It all started in the 16th century. According to local legend, the goats led a shepherd to discover the salty quality of the rocks. Before long, digging began. Salt was precious – there was fortune to be made. It took more than a hundred years before rock salt mining became a business. In the early days, the salt-bearing rock had to be hauled out of the mountain before the salt could be extracted. It was hard, dangerous work. Hammers, picks, wooden carts and the flickering light of oil lamps were all the miners had.
The purity of Alpine salt
The Alpine salt from Bex tells a story shaped by deep time. It has been trapped in the rocks for some 225 million years. Originally, a vast ocean covered part of the Alps. When the sea evaporated, salt was preserved inside the rocks. It is as pure and pristine as nature guarantees, having remained untouched by outside influences such as pollution. These are some of the fascinating facts shared by the tour guides on the way through the complex system of tunnels and caves. As we get lost in what feels like a maze, we learn about mining and the benefits of salt – the essential mineral that humans cannot live without.
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A natural taste enhancer
Today, Swiss salt is primarily used within Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Alpine salt mines of Bex are both a tourist destination and an active production site, producing around 30,000 tons of salt each year – some of which can be found in Ricola’s new herbal drops. Swiss Alpine salt is what makes our new herbal drops mouthwatering and special. For the curious minds who wonder where the Alpine salt comes from: the answers are hidden inside the rocks underneath the lush mountains of Bex in canton Valais.
Learn more about Swiss salt on Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA and Salina Helvetica.
How to get there
Mines de Sel de Bex, Route des Mines de Sel 55, 1880 Bex
