Abstract
All tangible and intangible elements of cultural heritage that the past has conceded to local communities create unique landscapes shaped by tightly connected anthropogenic and natural factors. This heritage is a keystone of local identity which plays a significant role in politics, economic development, society and world view. In some regions, such as in the Vistula delta in Poland, the cultural heritage has been created by consecutive groups of settlers who represented different values, beliefs and ways of life. On the one hand, such a rich heritage may be perceived as a valuable asset and become a landmark or tourism product of a region. On the other hand, it may be perceived as alien and unwanted by contemporary residents, especially when they are not descendants of the former communities. The main objective of the study presented herein is to analyse how the residents of the Vistula delta region, called Żuławy Wiślane, perceive and use cultural heritage of the Mennonites, representing the most extraordinary group of settlers who used to live in the region. The analysis covers original data gathered during survey research in the period of 2017–2018 under the project Miniatura I “Perception and usage of cultural heritage of the Vistula delta Mennonites” financed by the National Science Centre in Poland.
Highlights
Cultural landscape is a term which entered geographical literature in the 19th century.Carl Ritter appears to have been the first to use Culturlandschaft, in 1832
(16 indications), guided trips (8), agricultural raw materials (7) and transport services (7) were listed by some of the respondents. Such a wide array of potential elements of a tourism product listed by the locals, such as a rich cultural heritage and the proximity of the Vistula Spit sandy beaches, makes it possible to state that the Vistula delta region (Żuławy Wiślane) has sufficient potential to develop a community-based tourism product [48,53]
The multiculturalism, rich history and social relations which have been shaping the landscape of the Vistula delta region are undoubtedly a valuable asset
Summary
Cultural landscape is a term which entered geographical literature in the 19th century. Traditional landscapes are usually found in rural areas, and the impacts of tourism initiatives on their cultural landscape sustainability, as well as challenges for their conservation, are broadly discussed in the literature There are both case studies [17,18,19,20,21] and theoretical papers [22,23,24,25,26] providing guidelines and recommendations concerning the development of tourism products based on the cultural heritage of traditional landscapes, including their tangible and intangible elements. The cultural landscape (fpaisage humanise) emerges at the melting point of milieu and the so-called style of living (genre de vie), and it reflects the way that particular groups of people interpret and use their environment. Vistula delta region, providing historical background of of the research area; (4) Cultural heritage of the Vistula delta Mennonites in the eyes of current residents of the region, presenting the results of the survey research; (5) Discussion, highlighting the most important contexts of the study
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