Post-mining tourism in Upper Silesia and Czech-Moravian country

Abstract

Europe experiences the development of post-industrial tourism documenting the time of growth of traditional coal basins. Contemporarily, the processes of deindustrialization take place. The material resources of traditional industry are being liq- uidated – which is expensive, or are adapted for the needs of tourism, which gives a new chance of development for these regions which are by rule in a difficult economic situation. Polish coal basin where many industrial plants and coal mines were closed as a result of restructurizing may serve as an example. Similar processes, although in smaller a scope, occur in the Czech Republic. Some of the industrial objects and coal mines concentrate certain values that predestine them to be included in the group of post-industrial heritage: the Czech and Polish coal mines from the 19th century, or coking plants and steel plants – as Hlubina in Ostrava Vitkovce. The idea of this article is to connect some Czech and Polish objects with one tourist route. The proposed tourist area starts in Czerwionka-Leszczyny and runs to Ostrava, and includes former industrial objects, old mines equipped with steam engines, patronage housing estates, coking plants, as well as mine waste dumps subjected to natural succession of vegetation. Creation of such route will allow to popularize the landmarks of post-industrial heritage for tourists of both countries, as well as will contribute to the development of services based on tourism. The route could become a com- mon training ground for students of polytechnic departments of mining and environment protection, as it illustrates both the former mining technological processes and the processes of renaturalization of dumping grounds. The visiting sites were selected on the basis of unified criteria such as their age, suitability for tourism and education, as well as because of their origi- nality, authenticity and uniqueness. The proposed tourist route will also connect the Polish Industrial Monuments Route with the monuments and mining museums in Ostrava.