Rozwój sieci szlaków turystycznych wzdłuż granicy polsko-czeskiej w Sudetach w latach 1945 – 2013
The development of tourist trails network along the Polish-Czech state border in the Sudetes in the years 1945 – 2013

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents the development of hiking tourist trails network in the vicinity of the Polish-Czechoslovakia border (from the beginning of 1993 the Polish-Czech border) in the Sudetes in the period from 1945 till 2013. A comparison of Polish and Czechoslovak (Czech) trails offer was presented, as well as the route of some trails was criticised. In order to attain this a comparative analysis of historical and present-day tourist maps was conducted, however also hitherto existing literature concerning the history of tourism in the Sudetes was used. The analysis of recent changes in the network was possible thanks to field studies. The development of tourist trails networks on both sides of the state border in the Sudetes was highly dependent on the political situation and restrictions concerning people’s stay within the border zone. Therefore three main periods of the development of trails networks can be distinguished: (a) period before 1989, when the restrictions were most rigorous (especially from the end of 1946 till 1956), (b) period after 1989, when the rules were significantly softened, however free wandering in the border zone and crossing the border was still impossible, and finally (c) the present period after the end of 2007, when Poland and the Czech Republic became a part of the Schengen area and all formal barriers were abolished. The present legal conditions enable a reorganisation and integration of tourist trails networks, up till now developing separately in both countries. Because of that the present-day lay-out of tourist trails along the Polish-Czech border cannot be considered as final.

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