Revitalization of Public Spaces of Health Resorts in Southern Poland Based On Selected Examples

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present new activities in located in the south Poland health resorts focused to improve the quality of the public spaces in these resorts. In Poland, there are 45 spa resorts (mostly small towns and villages) half of them developed in the southern part of Poland and many of them are interesting examples of the transformations of the urban public space. The revitalization of the public spatial areas of spa settlements carried out in recent year’s means, primarily, activities aimed at increasing the attractiveness of these towns due to the strong competition on the spa and tourist market also growing the creation of new spas or wellness centers or large complexes developed based on thermal springs. Examples of localities with the dominant spa function chosen to trace the current trends in the area of contemporary development of public spaces in the city, which are also healing center of the spa. Spas such as: Rabka-Zdrój, Muszyna-Zdrój, Szczawnica-Zdrój, Iwonicz-Zdrój, Rymanów-Zdrój, located in the Carpathians area are very interesting and representative examples of changes in recent years in spa towns in Poland, after a period of stagnation caused by ownership transformations in health resorts. Recent activities undertaken in health resorts located in the south of Poland serve not only to improve the attractiveness of the town by improving the quality of public spaces. There are numerous activities to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the town, actions taken for the comfort of visitors and tourists, but also for the sake of residents as well as natural resources of mineral resources thanks to which the spa towns have been functioning for centuries.