There were more than 13 000 manor houses in Poland before 1939. After the second world war the majority of the landed gentry was expelled from its residences which have been looted and heavily devastated. Due to inappropriate new functions and lack of preservation there are now less than 3 000 manor houses, most of which are in an extremely bad technical state. Apparently, the effort to resort to the unique “myth of the Polish manor house” (brimming with symbolic meanings and references to national tradition and history) can be applied in order to offer: a) a chance to rescue hundreds of historical objects, b) an opportunity to enrich the tourist offer in Poland.
In comparison to other architectural monuments, historical castles attract both overseas and domestic tourists. The prime problem involves catering to the needs of the visitors without destroying the character of the unique historical environment. As tourism continues to progress, the solution of this dilemma becomes ever more crucial in the case of historical castles. The majority of Mazovian castles fulfils the function of a museum or a gallery, a state of things which, apparently, is welcome both from the point of view of the need to protect historic monuments and the development of sustainable tourism (sightseeing conceived as an educational activity, and cultural tourism, which involves concerts, theatre performances, competitions, and festivals). Some castles also play the role of the cultural centres of local communities, thus becoming an important landmark. It should also be stressed that select castles, particularly those located beyond popular tourist routes, still enjoy a chance to become interesting and significant centres which could influence the cultural life of local communities and implement education programmes pertaining to the tradition and history of a given region (with emphasis on local identity). Such a proposal of new forms of cultural life (thanks to the initiative of the local authorities as well as the castles' administrators) would simultaneously offer an opportunity to promote the region and develop sustainable forms of tourism (sightseeing and cultural tourism). Key words: historical environment values; cultural heritage protection; sustainable tourism development; educational and historical space; proecological forms of tourism.
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When touring a region, one of the things previous generations certainly overlooked were the industrial areas. With the exception of the old saltmine "Wieliczka" in the south of Poland, industrial heritage was mainly unknown. Industrial landscape (mills, factories with chimneys emitting all-blackening smoke, poverty-stricken workers' houses) have been regarded with dislike and considered grim.Using the example of Warsaw's industrial heritage revitalization projects, we examined already modernized historic buildings, which sought to respond to tourist and leisure needs (museums, art galleries, cultural centres). We were interested in their new functions and meanings for urban space quality. We wanted to consider how much revitalized architecture help to change (socially, culturally, economically) declining areas and their painful "inner-city" image (Thorns 2001). Our research (carried out in 2005-2006) covered nine historic industrial compounds, already converted and having new functions. Results of our inquiry polls (taken in 2005-2006) confirmed the thesis, that revitalized historic industrial architecture might enrich urban space with values visible in many dimensions: social, historical, aesthetical and economic (Evans 2005). Although selected and studied cases in Warsaw were not completed equally successfully, due to the objective barriers or carelessness in the planning process, all show good results in space quality and cultural services improvement, appreciated by the local community members and visitors relevantly.Once neglected run-down Warsaw districts (Wola, Praga) now draw benefits from new identities, attracting tourists and enhancing the local community's sense of belonging and well-being. Similar cases were described by scholars after studies in other European cities (Jones 2006).
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Recently, changes to our pace of living and to our quality of life (including demands of our leisure possibilities) have been rapid. We now expect higher standards of living filled with goods, services, and recreation activities unimaginable some decades ago. In the last two decades, there have been massive changes in work, communication, and travel resulting in what could be described as “leisure revolution.” The opportunities have increased in terms of both the time available and the variety of ways in which we can spend this time. Several aspects of physical exercise benefits are well recognized: we know that active recreation is especially stimulating and rewarding and that it helps to achieve sharper mental awareness and heightened consciousness. To be able to enjoy everyday outdoor active recreation and sports (netball, badminton, etc.), there has to be a network of recreation grounds and a supply of facilities that respond to the needs and expectations of society. The study of contemporary trends of leisure provision could be an essential spatial planning tool when contemporary housing estates functional programs are considered. Our research study (conducted on the basis of grants ds-114 and ds-144 AWF JP Warsaw; 2008-2012, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education) aimed to provide information on present trends in the area of active recreation that could impinge on leisure facilities expected at urban housing estates (outdoor recreation grounds).
Recently, changes to our pace of living and to our quality of life (including demands of our leisure possibilities) have been rapid. We now expect higher standards of living filled with goods, services, and recreation activities unimaginable some decades ago. In the last two decades, there have been massive changes in work, communication, and travel resulting in what could be described as “leisure revolution.” The opportunities have increased in terms of both the time available and the variety of ways in which we can spend this time. Several aspects of physical exercise benefits are well recognized: we know that active recreation is especially stimulating and rewarding and that it helps to achieve sharper mental awareness and heightened consciousness. To be able to enjoy everyday outdoor active recreation and sports (netball, badminton, etc.), there has to be a network of recreation grounds and a supply of facilities that respond to the needs and expectations of society. The study of contemporary trends of leisure provision could be an essential spatial planning tool when contemporary housing estates functional programs are considered. Our research study (conducted on the basis of grants ds-114 and ds-144 AWF JP Warsaw; 2008-2012, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education) aimed to provide information on present trends in the area of active recreation that could impinge on leisure facilities expected at urban housing estates (outdoor recreation grounds).
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