Geopark Karkonosze – georóżnorodność i geoturystyka

Abstract

Karkonosze Geopark – geodiversity and geotourism.A b s t r a c t. The Certificate of a National Geopark was awarded to the Karkonosze National Park, along with its buffer zone, in September 2010. Geodiversity of the Karkonosze Mountains, subject to the comprehensive assessment in 2008–2009, resides mainly in the variety of geological, mineralogical and geomorphological phenomena. In addition, the legacy of mining and mineral prospecting is abundant. Many of the natural phenomena make the Karkonosze Mountains an exceptional area in Poland, and are of outstanding value if considered within the European context. The value of abiotic nature of the Karkonosze is promoted through multiple activities in the field of geotourism and ecological education, including construction of an extensive network of geosites, marked tourist paths, and educational trails with information boards. Further promotion of geodiversity of the Karkonosze is carried out in cooperation with the adjacent Krkonošský narodní park on the Czech side of the mountains, aiming at an establishment of a bilateral Polish-Czech Geopark Krkonoše/Karkonosze, within the framework of the European Geopark Network.