Lime kilns as an element of the post-industrial cultural landscape of the Silesian Upland, Poland

Abstract

In the Silesian Upland in southern Poland there are many objects related to previous economic activities, mainly from the mining of minerals occurring in a geological basis. In Mikołów Mokre there is the largest group of closed lime kilns in Poland. They constitute a material trace of the quicklime production industry for the construction industry, which operated in this area for almost 200 years. These closed and decaying post-industrial objects are closely related to the presence of limestone and dolomite in the substrate rocks that were obtained from nearby quarries. The aim of the article was to present the current state of these lime kilns and to assess the possibility of using them for tourism purposes. Currently, only two lime kilns are components of the educational trail of the Silesian Botanical Garden established in 2003. Using the example of the Mikołów lime kilns, the opportunities and possibilities for changing the industrial function of these objects to a tourist function are outlined.