Geocultural Heritage as a Basis for Themed GeoTown—The “Józefów StoneTown” Model in the Roztocze Region (SE Poland)

Abstract

In many areas, the use of stone in architecture and art represents one of the most significant links between geological and cultural heritage. These links are used for the creation of themed places that fit into the marketing strategy of such places/towns, supporting their management and promoting geotourism as a form of sustainable tourism. In this field, the inhabitants and municipal authorities of the Józefów area have not yet used their full potential. This article presents the features of geological heritage and connected cultural heritage (stonemasonry) in the area of Józefów with a view to building a geotown in the context of the “Kamienny Las na Roztoczu” (“Stone Forest in Roztocze”) planned geopark. These features were analysed from three points of view: research (field inventory of sites and secondary data queries), perception of heritage by two groups of tourists (queries of secondary data obtained from the Tourist Information Centre and diagnostic survey), and perception of heritage by inhabitants (diagnostic survey). The results of the research show that the multicomponent and interdisciplinary space of Józefów contains closely interrelated geological and cultural features. These can be the basis for creating a themed town, which can drive its sustainable economic development and give the town a broader supralocal dimension.