La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans

What La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans does

La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans is a French public cultural institution (Établissement Public de Coopération Culturelle, or EPCC) that manages a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Arc-et-Senans, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The site is an 18th-century royal salt factory commissioned by King Louis XV between 1775-1779 and designed by architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux; it became the first industrial site in the world to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. The Department of Doubs owns the property and the EPCC has governed its operation since 2009, with the Department of Jura and the Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Dole joining as co-founding members on January 1, 2021. The institution serves cultural tourists, families, school groups, corporate clients, music students, and event organizers.

The Saline royale operates a multi-product heritage and hospitality platform anchored by self-guided and digital visits (HistoPad tablet tours with 360° immersion in 11 languages, developed with Histovery), five permanent exhibitions (including the Enlightenment Centre with 3D reconstructions of UNESCO sites), rotating temporary exhibitions, 13 hectares of themed gardens (the "Un Cercle immense" project), a 31-room 3-star hotel redesigned by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the on-site Table des jardins restaurant, a bookshop with over 6,000 specialized references, a 1,500-capacity conference and performance hall (Salle Ledoux), four professional recording studios, and a music academy managed with Musicampus hosting international orchestras and masterclasses. The site also operates the École du jardin planétaire, training 400 landscape students per year.

Revenue is generated through tiered admission tickets (€9-€15 adult), hotel accommodations (€88-€198 per night), restaurant and catering, retail, event venue rental (130 corporate events annually), private events (weddings up to 400 people, seminars up to 1,500), filming services, and a tiered donation/patronage program (€50-€10,000 tiers). Distribution combines on-site ticket offices, the Tickeasy online platform, third-party ticketing (Weezevent, Vivaticket, Mapado), the Reservit hotel booking system, an iRaiser donation platform, and dedicated group and corporate sales teams. The site draws 141,000-150,000 visitors per year, ranks as the 2nd tourist destination in Franche-Comté, generates €20.7M in annual regional economic impact, and reinvests 100% of its surplus into employment, equipment, and future projects.

Name

La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans

Legal name

EPCC Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans

Website

https://salineroyale.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans is a French public cultural institution operating a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering heritage tours, immersive exhibitions, themed gardens, a hotel, restaurant, conference center, and music academy to cultural tourists, families, corporate clients, and music students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arc-et-senans

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Entry fees to visit the monument, exhibitions, and gardens with tiered pricing for adults, reduced rates, children, and families.
2. Event Venue Rental: Rental of conference rooms, concert hall, and event spaces for corporate seminars (up to 1,500 people) and private events (weddings up to 400 people).
3. Hotel Accommodation: 31-room 3-star hotel within the UNESCO monument offering single, double, triple, and family rooms at €88-198 per night including exhibition access.
4. Food & Beverage: Table des Jardins restaurant serving lunch in season with regional dishes, sandwiches, salads, and desserts; catering for events.
5. Retail - Bookshop & Gift Shop: Over 6,000 references including books on architecture, history, gardens, salt, Franche-Comté region, and gift items. Leading architecture bookshop outside Paris.
6. Donations & Patronage: Donation program with tiers from €50 to €10,000 offering benefits including free annual access, concert invitations, and donor recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans operates a UNESCO World Heritage saltworks site commissioned by Louis XV (1775-1779) and designed by architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. It offers cultural visits, permanent and temporary exhibitions, immersive digital experiences, a 13-hectare themed garden landscape, a 31-room 3-star hotel, an on-site restaurant, conference and event facilities, recording studios for a music academy, and a specialized bookshop and gift shop.

Product overview

The Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural heritage site offering a portfolio of interconnected visitor experiences and hospitality services. Core offerings include self-guided and digital visits (via HistoPad tablet) of the Ledoux-designed salt factory, permanent exhibitions (Centre de Lumières, Ledoux Museum, Salt Stories, Site Memories, Pavilion of Traditions), temporary exhibitions, and 13 hectares of themed gardens called 'Un Cercle immense'. Hospitality services include a 31-room 3-star hotel (Hôtel 3 étoiles), on-site restaurant (Table des jardins), conference center (Centre de congrès) with multiple meeting rooms and a 1,500-seat performance hall, professional recording studios, and a bookshop/gift shop. The site also hosts cultural events, concerts, festivals (Festival des jardins), and academic music programs. The visitor experience is enhanced through the 180° Augmenté digital project featuring interactive touchscreens and 3D immersive content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saline royale visits General admission visits to the UNESCO World Heritage saltworks site, including the historic salt factory buildings, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux Museum, and permanent exhibitions. Open to individual visitors and families.
• Centre de Lumières (Enlightenment Centre) Immersive multi-sensory exhibition space offering light shows, 3D presentations of UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide, and 360° experiences. Targeted at cultural tourists and heritage enthusiasts.
• Jardins (Gardens - Un Cercle immense) 13-hectare landscape park featuring 30 themed gardens, including gardens in motion and themed gardens. Available to visitors as part of site admission, plus dedicated Festival des jardins programming.
• Hôtel 3 étoiles 31-room 3-star hotel located within the UNESCO monument, with single, double, triple and family rooms at €88-198 per night including exhibition access and garden illuminations.
• Table des jardins restaurant On-site restaurant serving regional cuisine with seasonal dishes, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and catering for events. Available during the visitor season.
• Centre de congrès et événements Conference and event center with 10+ meeting rooms and the 1,500-seat Salle Ledoux performance hall, accommodating corporate seminars, conferences, team-building events, private events (weddings up to 400), and filming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 141,000-150,000 annual visitors generating €20.7M economic impact
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Département du Doubs (Doubs County Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner of the Saline royale property since 1927; manages the site through EPCC structure; supports major renovation projects including the Berne Est cultural space
• Département du JuracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined EPCC as founding collector on January 1, 2021, expanding regional support for the site
• Communauté d'agglomération du Grand DolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined EPCC as founding collector on January 1, 2021
• SNCF (French National Railway)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering reduced TER train rates within 48 hours of travel; TGV connections from Paris (2h20), Lausanne (1h30), Lyon (2h20)
• HistoverycoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped the HistoPad digital tour tablet offering 360° historical immersion and 3D interactive experiences in 11 languages
• MusicampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the Saline royale Academy of music, coordinating international masterclasses and recording sessions; aims to create comprehensive catalogue of filmed masterclasses
• Orchestre Français des Jeunes (OFJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung musicians orchestra using recording studios and rehearsal facilities during summer and autumn residencies
• Gilles ClémentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape artist whose 'Planetary Garden' concept inspired the 'Un Cercle immense' 13-hectare landscape project; designed garden philosophy emphasizing biodiversity
• Mayot & ToussaintcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape design firm that created the 'Un Cercle immense' garden project inspired by Ledoux's Ideal City of Chaux
• Interreg 'Living lab Arc jurassien'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border program contributing to the Jura Arc Garden design representing fragile ecosystem preservation
• Université Paris Nanterre (Labex 'Les passés dans le présent')coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner developing scientific trail in the Ledoux Museum presenting digitized plates from Ledoux's architectural treatise
• La Salamandre (performance company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance company creating spectacular fire and light moments during Lux Salina immersive shows
• Lausanne Chamber OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious Swiss orchestra performing concerts at the Claude-Nicolas Ledoux performance hall

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Château de Chambord: UNESCO Renaissance château with gardens, exhibitions, ticketing, and cultural events. Comparable French UNESCO heritage site with similar visitor, exhibition, and event business model.
• Cité de Carcassonne: UNESCO fortified medieval city with ticketed access, exhibitions, and cultural events. Comparable as a French UNESCO heritage tourism destination with multi-revenue model.
• Centre des monuments nationaux: French public institution managing over 100 national monuments including UNESCO sites. Closest direct peer as a state-affiliated heritage site operator with similar visitor, ticket, and event revenue model.
• Grande Saline de Salins-les-Bains: Sister UNESCO-listed salt site (extension of the Saline royale inscription in 2009) with combined ticket offering. Directly comparable as a related UNESCO salt heritage site in the same region.
• Mont-Saint-Michel: Iconic UNESCO island commune and abbey with millions of visitors, ticketed access, and cultural programming. Comparable French UNESCO heritage site visitor attraction.
• Abbaye de Fontenay: UNESCO World Heritage Cistercian abbey in Burgundy managed as a cultural tourism site with gardens and ticketed visits. Comparable regional UNESCO heritage site with museum and garden components.

Others

• Histovery: Technology partner that developed the HistoPad digital tour for the Saline royale. Relevant as the enabling technology partner whose platform powers the Saline royale's differentiated digital visitor experience.

Emerging players

• Base sous-marine de Bordeaux: Converted WWII submarine base operating immersive digital art exhibitions (Bassins de Lumières). Comparable as a French heritage site using immersive digital experiences to drive visitor traffic and ticket revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Château de Versailles: UNESCO World Heritage site near Paris operating as a major cultural attraction with palaces, gardens, exhibitions, and events. Comparable as a French UNESCO heritage site with museum, gardens, ticketing, and events revenue, though at significantly larger scale.
• Musée d'Orsay: Major French national museum with ticketed exhibitions, retail, restaurant, and digital experiences. Comparable as a major French cultural institution with multi-revenue heritage operations, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saline-royale-darc-et-senans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans