The Transboundary Approach to Landscape Geointerpretation: Challenges in Interpretive Planning and Geoconservation

Abstract

The paper introduces the transboundary approach for landscape geointerpretation using a karst landscape (NW Dinaric Karst) as an example. It proposes geointerpretation that focuses on attractive geoheritage themes that are unique to a karst landscape, such as “duality” of the landscape (surface and underground landscape), geodiversity and geohistory of explorations. Four representative karst landscape types are presented in two neighbouring countries, Slovenia (SI) and Croatia (HR): low karst (Karst Plateau/SI), contact karst (UNESCO site Škocjan Caves/ SI), high alpine glacial karst (Gorski Kotar/HR) and coastal karst (Island of Krk/HR). The transboundary geointerpretation approach is based on an interpretive planning process, which was conducted through participatory workshops with local people and stakeholders and resulted in one interpretive master plan and four permanent exhibition plans. The key phenomena and themes for permanent exhibition plans were identified and used as the basis for the establishment of off-site karst interpretive centres and on-site polygons. The karst heritage was interpreted by using Freeman Tilden’s basic principles of interpretation. The presented approach and the interpretive infrastructure provide a good basis for further geoconservation projects, as well as for geopark designation. Its transferability and further geotourism applications are discussed.