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Conservation and Geotourism Perspectives at Granite Geoheritage Sites of Waldviertel, Austria

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Abstract

The region of Waldviertel in Lower Austria is dominated by crystalline basement rocks of the Bohemian Massif, including granites of both Late Proterozoic and Carboniferous ages. Although the general relief is subdued, it is punctuated by numerous granite outcrops in the form of tors and boulders. Both are highly valuable elements of regional heritage. Tors occur in a variety of shapes and sizes, hosting also a range of microforms such as weathering pits, rillenkarren and flared slopes. Some tor and boulder groups are elements of exhumed pre-Miocene landscapes. Four case studies are presented, illustrating different approaches to geosite management. Most sites are properly looked after, although motivations are not necessarily based on a realization of their scientific value, but there is deficit of on-site interpretation. A thematic ‘Granite Route’ should be a feasible project, revealing a regional granite geomorphological heritage, outstanding within the Bohemian Massif, to wider public.

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Acknowledgements

This research was carried out as part of statutory activity of the Institute of Geography and Regional Development at the University of Wrocław. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the first version of this paper.

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  1. Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wrocław, pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137, Wrocław, Poland

    Piotr Migoń, Milena Różycka & Aleksandra Michniewicz

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  1. Piotr Migoń
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  2. Milena Różycka
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  3. Aleksandra Michniewicz
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Correspondence to Piotr Migoń.

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Migoń, P., Różycka, M. & Michniewicz, A. Conservation and Geotourism Perspectives at Granite Geoheritage Sites of Waldviertel, Austria. Geoheritage 10, 11–21 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0219-2

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