Rozwój sieci szlaków pieszych w Górach Sowich po II wojnie światowej = Development of the hiking-trail network in Poland’s Sowie Mountains since the Second World War

Abstract

Since 2014, there has been a rapid development of the network of hiking trails in the Sowie Mountains, being part of the processes taking place in various parts of the Sudeten Mountains, especially in the Central Sudeten. These changes were analysed using i.a. graph analysis. The changes in the degree of development and coherence of the hiking trail network after World War II were determined and the reasons for marking new routes were examined, taking into account the tourist attractiveness of the area and the role these sections play in the network. The length of hiking trails in the Sowie Mountains in 2022 compared to 2005 almost doubled, with an approximate threefold increase in the number of nodes and sections between them. As a result the coherence of the network slightly decreased, but the possibilities of organising trips have clearly improved. There are many positive aspects of the development of the trail network in the Sowie Mountains. The new routes are related to the sightseeing values, they refer to the location of public transport stops, but also parking lots at the foot of the mountains and at the passes. There is a clear tendency to reduce the share of the asphalt surface.