Military landscapes of the Pryvododilni Gorgany as a premise for increasing tourist attractiveness of the area (the case of the Chorna Klyva mountain)

Abstract

The article examines the potential of military landscapes for promoting environmentally sustainable forms of active tourism (aimed at both natural sightseeing and military history of the area) in the Ukrainian Carpathians region focusing on the case of military landscapes of the mountain Chorna Klyva (the Bratkivskyi Ridge of the Pryvododilni Gorgany). The line of fortifications, which constitute their basis, used to belong to the so called “St. Laslo Line” built in 1939-1943 on the remains of the World War I fortifications. These fortifications (the system of trenches) were built in the upper parts of the mountain slopes allowing ideal observation of the lower areas and ensuring fire superiority along the border (at the time it was a border between Czechoslovakia and Poland. These trenches were designed in a way to organically use natural landscape features for both engineering and tactical purposes. Absence of intensive fighting as well as slow speed of natural recovery in that particular area contributed to a good state of their preservation often noted by occasional trail hikers. The goal of this article is to analyze both historical and natural conditions in which those landscapes have evolved as well as assess their current state. We discuss the prospects of promoting those landscapes as tourist attractions combining elements of natural scenery and sites of historical interest. The analysis is based upon historical geographic approach coupled with the original field observations. The article examines the most important features of those military landscapes, which can be used for tourism promotion in the area. An overview of comparable international experience in promoting military landscapes as tourist attractions is given to emphasize the potential of the area in question, which so far has been neglected by local communities and tourism businesses alike. We point out the factors limiting tourist flows, yet, at the same time, we argue that promotion of military landscapes will boost the number of visitors in the area generating demand for tourist services, hence promoting small business development. We argue that boosting such forms of tourism can bring positive effect to local communities and promote the area between Svydovets and Pryvododilni Gorgany ranges in the Chorna Tysa river basin for better preservation of the unique natural and historical sights. For the first time, a comprehensive study of historical events and natural landscapes in a specific area at the Chorna Klyva mountain has been performed with the focus on how human activities have conjoined with the natural landscape processes resulting in what we now call military landscapes. The obtained results prove that these military landscapes are of significant natural and historical value and can be successfully promoted as tourist attractions.