Potential of Religious-Cognitive Tourism in Polish Cittaslow Towns

Abstract

Most of the Polish Cittaslow towns “due to limited accessibility resulting from both their peripheral location (and often underdeveloped public transport network), as well as a lack of adequate tourist facilities, tend to lose, in terms of tourist attractiveness, against the big cities in their vicinity” (Zawadzka 2017c, p. 91). However “silence and calmness – the rarest goods of the modern western world” (Zawadzka 2017c, p. 101) prevailing in these towns, as well as the cultural heritage (numerous monument churches) translate into a t large potential of religious-cognitive tourism. The article fills the gap regarding Polish Cittaslow towns, because much is written about the Cittaslow towns in the context of slow tourism, sustainable tourism and green tourism, while religious-cognitive tourism is barely mentioned and does not appear in scientific studies. The aim of this article is to explore the religious and cognitive areas of the city of Cittaslow by identifying (1) Christian symbols in the coats of arms of cities. (2) significant sacred buildings and (3) towns of Cittaslow through which the Road of Saint Jacob passes. The potential of religious-cognitive tourism in polish Cittaslow towns is determined based on preassigned point values. The study was largely predicated on desk research methods.