Visible trends in city tourism related to the development of sustainable tourism clearly imply an increase in the significance of green areas and the development of nature-based tourism. Natural areas in cities that ideally fit the assumptions of sustainable tourism are nature reserves—areas where protection of the valuable environment is a priority. This paper aims to highlight that nature reserves are green spots in cities that can be excellent sites for sustainable tourism. The choice of big cities was dictated by the fact that they have the highest requirement for recreational green spaces due to a high concentration of tourist traffic in historic city centres and a clearer need for sustainable forms of tourism. Sixteen nature reserves in five big Polish cities with a population of more than 100,000: Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznań, Toruń, and Warsaw were selected for the study. Field surveys were carried out in nature reserves to see whether basic tourism facilities providing information about nature, supporting education, and conservation of the natural environment existed in the publicly available areas of such reserves. The attractiveness of nature reserves to tourists and their suitability for developing sustainable tourism was evaluated through score-based valuation of the reserves. The valorisation index was used for a synthetic rating and classification of the reserves in terms of attractiveness. The results of surveys imply a possibility of using selected nature reserves in cities for developing sustainable forms of active tourism—in particular hiking and cycling, educational tourism and daily recreational activities of city residents. The sites in question can be regarded as attractive ecotourism products, and as such hold the potential to become a popular destination among tourists and eco-tourists in particular.

In Poland, apart from opencast mining, brown coal (lignite) was also mined by underground methods. This is related to glaciotectonic disturbances leading to deposition of Miocene coal in the form of folds (synclines and anticlines). The highest number of underground brown coal mines in the 19th century was recorded in western Poland. In northern Poland in the second half of the 19th century there were active underground brown coal mines in Piła Młyn. The study aims to present the environmental and socio-economic effects of discontinuing lignite mining. It is a unique example of cultural heritage and influences the tourist development of the region. To this end, historical topographic maps were used together with data from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser scanning, available descriptions and scientific articles about coal mines. Information from the local inhabitants and representatives of the “BUKO” Association (the Association of Inhabitants and Enthusiasts of Piła nad Brdą “BUKO”) was also obtained. As shown by the results of the analyses, changes in the environment are manifested in terrain relief and highlight the location of former coal mines. Clear land subsidence is arranged in linear sequences and occurs as single landforms. Recesses at the former extraction sites are very distinct. The socio-economic effects observed include activity of the inhabitants and development of rural areas. The area also offers good prospects for tourism as a themed mining village attracts tourists and is a unique amenity in Poland. The subject matter of this article is also of importance from the standpoint of civil engineering since post-mining areas cannot be repurposed for residential development. Due to changes in the relief in this area in places other than those analyzed, scientific research will be conducted here, which will allow to answer other hypotheses (brown coal transport).

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Zarys treści: W świetle głębokich przemian przestrzenno-funkcjonalnych, jakim podlegają współcześnie tereny wiejskie, coraz istotniejsze wydaje się zachowanie tradycyjnych form i sposobów gospodarowania, które stanowią ważny element dziedzictwa kulturowego wsi. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest charakterystyka działań na rzecz ochrony i promocji tego dziedzictwa na obszarach wiejskich Doliny Dolnej Wisły w ujęciu dynamicznym i przestrzennym. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały, że mieszkańcy gmin wiejskich, zwłaszcza na obszarach chronionych, coraz chętniej kultywują uprawę i hodowlę tradycyjnych odmian roślin i ras zwierząt. Ich działania przyczyniają się zarówno do zachowania bioróżnorodności na wymienionych obszarach, jak i ochrony specyficznego, kształtowanego przez stulecia krajobrazu kulturowego wsi.

This paper aims at illustrating the scope of involvement of local communities and local businesses in the development of cultural ecosystem services in rural areas, in particular with reference to sustainable tourism. The authors discuss if, how and why local communities develop ecotourism products and infrastructure in areas where natural and cultural resources are strictly controlled. This work is based on field surveys in the naturally valuable region of the Noteć River Valley, forming a part of International Waterway E70. Six focused interviews were carried out with employees of the indicated organisations and local residents who were involved in developing the offer of sustainable tourism and ecotourism. The results indicate that the local community more and more often realizes the existence of advantages related to operation in protected areas and utilizes local natural and cultural resources for the purposes of developing sustainable tourism, including ecotourism in their territory. It becomes an additional source of income, and for some people-the main one. At the same time, local cultural heritage, being a priority measure taken into account by the European Union, is protected. On a wider scale, such activities have a chance to develop in the Noteć River Valley if specialist and financial support is provided and if the residents' knowledge about ecotourism and their conscious involvement in the development of ecotourism increase.