The brine source is idyllically located in the Artern Park Cemetery.
The brine comes from a 300 m deep rock salt storage. The Karstquelltopf promotes 1.7 square meters of water / min, d. H. 28.3 Vs. It has a year-round temperature of 11.5 ° C. One liter of water contains 22 - 25 g salt (mainly common salt, but also gypsum, potassium and magnesium salts).
The annual salt production amounts to 22,400 square meters and was used economically from the Middle Ages until 1964.
From the spring in the cemetery, the brine flows out in a narrow bed onto the open meadow. From there it is called Solgraben.
Since 1935 this brine area has been protected. It is the smallest nature reserve in Europe in its kind (size approx. 1.63 ha) and the most important saltwater site in Central Europe. It offers in a small space a rare fauna and flora. Plants, such. B. common swell, salt vermouth, salt snap, Salzmelde, Salzbinse, earth clover and animals such. B. typical salt beetles, salt bugs and salt flies are found here. As the only fish the three-pronged stickleback lives in Solgraben.
The brine source feeds the Solgraben as well as the municipal brine pool.
Source: artern.de