Syracuse: the Erie Canal and Salt City

In the heart of New York State, Syracuse owes its nickname 'Salt City' to the ancient salt mines along the Erie Canal.

The center, grown thanks to the Erie Canal and salt production, is visited comfortably on foot.

The Erie Canal Museum, housed in an old cargo warehouse, tells the story of the canal that transformed New York state in the nineteenth century.

A short walk away, Armory Square, a historic district with military buildings converted into lofts and offices, comes alive with restaurants and bars in the city center.

Heading toward the university campus, you visit the Everson Museum of Art, designed by architect I.M. Pei, with a collection of American ceramics.

In the evening, Hanover Square district comes alive with historic bars overlooking the city's central plaza, among the most popular gathering spots downtown.

Syracuse owes its nickname of 'Salt City' to the salt springs around Onondaga Lake, exploited since the 1700s and which made the city a key production center along the 19th-century Erie Canal.

The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean through New York for the first time, transforming Syracuse into a strategic commercial hub.