Landscape and Cultural Aspects of the Coastal Area of Western Pomerania as Factors of Development of Maritime and Nautical Tourism. Identification and Definition of Conditions

Maritime tourism in its numerous forms (rapidly developing in the world) has direct impacts on coastal formation and development. As such it has become one of the most important areas of investigation. Among the many varieties of maritime tourism, due to its increasing availability and popularity, nautical tourism, which has recently had a strong influence on the multifaceted Polish coast, deserves special attention. However, due to the natural formation of coasts they are not adapted for most forms of marine tourism. Western Pomerania is a region considered suitable for nautical tourism which is characterized by its unique nature. In addition to its peripheral location, the area is protected from intense urbanization, and at the same time has managed to avoid engaging into investments that could have radically caused the deterioration of the landscape and cultural values of the region. Properly planned activities for the development of maritime tourism can adequately stimulate the spatial expansion of individual municipalities, often changing their existing character and a leading function. The aim of the article is to illustrate the determinants of the proper (past and future) development of coastal towns in the context of the expansion of maritime tourism (especially nautical), with particular emphasis on landscape and cultural aspects, on the example of a selected locality in the Western Pomerania region. As part of the research, the marine tourism potential in the Western Pomerania region, its landscape and cultural aspects concerning maritime tourism development, as well as the analysis of historical and spatial conditions for the location and concentration of nautical tourism activity in the Dziwnow area were identified. This seaside resort, which was selected as part of the research, is characterized by above-average potential of aquatic development and its local, maritime tradition. On the basis of the analyses carried out on the spatial structure of Dziwnow it was found that the village is a model example of tourism synergy of inland and in marine water area. The research included interpretative and historical studies, and the inventory of urban, architectural and landscape elements - essential for the development of nautical tourism, as well as the municipal strategy and field observations. Apart from the aspects related to the nature for the development of nautical tourism, the cultural values of the village, its local traditions and continuity of development of the tourist-oriented function also play a crucial role. The origins of the village date back to the transformation of the original fishing village into a summer resort, then a seaside resort, a post-war spa town - the Kamien Pomorski satellite, into a modern base of organized tourism.