Wzajemne relacje małych miast i rzek

Mutual relations of towns and rivers is closely connected to the research project elaborated by us entitled: "Transformations town-village and village-town as a shaping factor for cultural landscape". The project includes questions connected with places which are located on the lower stages of the settlement network which are often called downgraded towns. This group includes small towns and villages which descend from larger towns. They used to be selfsufficient units at one time but now are absorbed by nearby cities or connected, creating new cities by joining two or more units. In Lower Silesia region and in neighbourhood areas, the number of such places is quite high, many of them lost their city rights directly after the war in 1945, and while a large number of them retracted those rights, others play the part of commune villages and very few are administrative units (so called "sołectwo"). To present the questions of mutual relations between small towns and the river, the most likely representative places for the whole set were chosen, which at the same time illustrate the influence of the river on historical and modern architecture, and present advantages and threats originated from the neighbourhood of water,and also on shaping of a landscape where river, lake, pool or even a small watercourse or water basin are essential factors. The chosen places were divided into two basic groups - Low-lying, along the course of the Odra river. In mountain areas, in Kłodzko Land and in the Czech Republic. Surface water can in various ways influence the attractiveness of the place where they exist. Near big rivers there is a possibility of organizing river harbours for touristic movements which connect separate places along the river. Appropriate management of river banks which run through separate places can increase the area of terrains intended for leisure and recreation (embankments along the river).