Jaskinia Raj jako obiekt geoturystyczny - z perspektywy półwiecza

Developed in the Devonian limestones the Raj (Paradise) Cave, with the rich dripstone attire, located near the city of Kielce, was the first cave in Poland to be opened to the public in a modern way 50 years ago and thus the first geotouristic site in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) region. Unrestricted exploration soon after its discovery led to the destruction of some speleothems. That is why the cave entrance was closed and a decision to protect the cave by its commercialization was made. Archaeological excavations and geological and palaeontological investigations of the Pleistocene cave sediments were carried out duringthe preparation ofthe tourist route. Transforming the cave into a show cave allowed maintaining its intrinsic (scientific) and extrinsic (aesthetic) values. However, tourism has also put a negative impact on the cave (mechanical damages of the speleothems, lampenflora, contaminations). Therefore, the authors consider whether protection and public access represent two contrasting or rather complementary concepts and from this perspective make an attempt to assess the 50 years of geotourism in Raj Cave.