Jerzy Nita

GEOTOURIST POTENTIAL OF POST-MINING REGIONS IN POLAND

Abstract The current article will attempt to confirm that Polish post-mining areas are characterized by high cognitive and aesthetic values and that they have great geotourism potential, which has been little used so far. Tourism is regarded to be one of the most dynamically growing sectors of the global economy and is a phenomenon that occurs in the landscapes of all ecological and altitudinal zones. Geotourism is among the relatively recent types of tourism. Poland is a highly attractive country for geotourism. The aim of this article is to analyze the distribution and size of post-mining areas in Poland and, based on these analyses, to assess the geotourist potential of selected post-mining regions. Based on the distribution of natural resource mining sites and their potential and actual use in geotourism, the authors selected 20 actual and potential geotourist regions in Poland. These regions were divided into three basic categories based on their attractiveness.

Assessment of the Exposure of Tourism-Related Landscape Values of the Silesian Beskids Based on Computer Visualization

This paper presents an analysis of the visibility of landscape values , which are important in terms of tourist attractiveness. The paper focuses on the area of the Silesian Beskid Mountains, which have highly diversified (in terms of structure, functionality and physiognomy) natural and cultural values. Due to its location near large urban agglomerations, the region enjoys high tourist interest, and it hosts intensely used recreation facilities. However, as a result of changes in land use and excessive afforestation, the area has lost its sightseeing value, which could result in the decreased interest of tourists and a loss of identity determinants in the landscape in that region. The foundation of tourist attractiveness lies in the visual diversity of elements of the natural and cultural landscape. Forests, which are common in the Beskids, are of unquestionable ecological value; however, from a tourist’s point of view, their prevalence creates scenic monotony and decreases visual attractiveness because they hinder the perception of other valuable forms of landscape (e.g. surface features, hydrographic objects or cultural entities). The article presents existing and possible (computer simulated) states of landscape where the improvement of physiognomic value is planned. To visualize landscape values , the authors used methods and techniques of computer-aided modelling. Interpretation was based on topographic maps at various scales, aerial and satellite photos, a digital elevation model (DEM) and digital thematic maps.