Bohemian Switzerland: Long-Term Spatiotemporal Transformations of Tourism Facilities in Rural Peripheries Between the Regulations and Access for All

Abstract

Bohemian Switzerland (Ceské Švýcarsko) is a name that has been associated with the prominent area of sandstone landscapes located in Northern Czechia (Central Europe). Over the last centuries, the development of the area and the locational transformation of tourism facilities has been influenced by multiscalar effects of transforming geopolitical context, economic restructuring, and changing value orientation and expectation toward tourism and nature conservation. In this paper, we use narrative documentary sources to show how these changes affected the capacity, spatial diffusion and variability of tourist facilities and services in the area. In particular, we explore and discuss the ways in which public authorities and other groups of stakeholders attempted to balance the tourism-led local development and rights to public access with nature conservation and sustainable community livelihood.