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From closed border to open tourist space: Landscape changes along the Polish-Slovak border

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Abstract

This paper analyzes a boundary landscape and relevant evolutionary changes in land use at an EU/Schengen internal border (Poland-Slovakia), which was once a closed barrier but is now an open tourism resource. The study shows the role international borders can play in constructing recreational, tourism, and other use spaces, by identifying elements and characteristics of the borderline and its immediate vicinity. Key elements include border markers, roads and checkpoints, tourist trails and paths, information boards and advertising, and other elements of immediate border infrastructure. Both conceptual and applied significance is ascribed to the research, as guidelines can be developed to enable greater care of the shaping and management of the border and its landscape in the face of increased touristification, as well as offering sustainable solutions in matters of landscape change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda Str. 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland

    Marek Więckowski, Wiktoria Łaska & Aliaksandr Cyargeenka

  2. School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Dallen J. Timothy

  3. School of Hospitality and Tourism, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Dallen J. Timothy

  4. Institute of Geography of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Daniel Michniak

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  1. Marek Więckowski
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Correspondence to Marek Więckowski.

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Więckowski, M., Łaska, W., Timothy, D.J. et al. From closed border to open tourist space: Landscape changes along the Polish-Slovak border. GeoJournal 89, 33 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11001-0

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