Europa Regionum

The peripheral location of trans-border regions, restricted in their post war economic development for military reasons, preserved a unique natural environment. The northeast part of Poland qualifies as one of these special places. To the end of the XX c. the area neighboured with the military natured Kaliningrad Oblast, officially inaccessible for foreigners, contributing to the peripheral economic position of the area but at the same time favouring preservation of top quality nature environment. The study covers tourist potential based on natural environment qualities of six poviats in the Warmińsko Mazurskie Voivodship by the Polish Russian border: Elbląski, Braniewski, Bartoszycki, Kętrzyński, Węgorzewski and Gołdapski poviats. Nature rich areas are covered by the Natura 2000 network. They are particularly concentrated in border poviats strictly adjacent to the border forming, among others, bird preserves ‘Ostoja Warmińska’ (Warmiński Refuge) and unique protected habitats ‘Vistula Lagoon’ and ‘Romnicka Forest’. Various legal protection means are in place to safeguard the natural environment (e.g. preserves) and other unique nature objects (e.g. Żywkowo Storks Village). This legal environment favours the development of tourism in the northern outskirts of the Voivodship, which remain underdeveloped in terms of tourism, as compared to such parts of Warmia and Mazury as the Mazurian Lake District. Translated by Anna Stajewska