Eksploracja przestrzeni historycznej Gorców dla potrzeb turystyki kulturowej

W dobie poszukiwań niewyeksploatowanych zasobów atrakcyjności lokalnej coraz częściej sięga się do historii i tradycji, zapisanych w mniej lub bardziej dosłowny sposób w krajobrazie. Wydaje się, że poziom taki zapewnia nowy, intensywnie rozwijający się rodzaj turystyki – zwany turystyką kulturową. Podkreślić należy, iż omawiany tu aspekt eksploatacji wątków historycznych stanowi element synergicznego oddziaływania wraz z wartościami przyrodniczymi i estetycznymi krajobrazu Początki nowoczesnej turystyki kulturowej na terytorium Polski rodzą się w Gorcach.

A sense of a tourism on rural territories we can abbreviate on the 4 letters “H”: Habitat, Heritage, History, Handcraft. A History needs an explaining and descriptions into a landscape. It is a basal condition for a creation of the “telling landscape” as an outline of the cultural tourism. This problem is shown on an example of a part of Polish Highland, called Gorce. It is a chain of mountains, including to Western Beskids, in Carpathians Mountains. Gorce are not so high (ca 3000 ft above the sea level). This chain stands north, opposite to the High Tatra mountains. For this reason, Gorce are so called: “A regal box”, where from we can see a most beautiful panorama of a highest part of Carpathians. A history of this mountains is closely connected with a heritage of Vallachian. A village of Ochotnica, the largest village of this region was located according to the Vallachians Law, by the Ladislaus Jagiello, king pf Poland, in the 1416. A special character of a rural landscape, including a shepherds’ meadows, season farms, groups of forests and long distances between habitual houses and field complexes creates a special tradition of inhabitants. Since middle ages they are an independent nation under direct ruling of the king (not a knight, prince). It is a source of a strong sense of freedom and honor of the Gorce Highlanders, claimed in critical times for Poland, in this number during the WWII and early communism period. Beautiful landscape, rich heritage and dramatic history of the Gorce Region fulfilled a function of a basement for a project of tourist traces, erected according to cultural tourism principles. It is an experiment, led together by Self-Government of Ochotnica Commune, Gorce National Park, Krakow University of Technology and Polish Society of Historians. A first stage of studies and documentation is prepared due to a Program of Revitalization of Rural Areas, named Leader+. A project id continued.