Between Meteorite, Glacier and Rivers—Towards Geotourism Development in Diverse Landscape

Abstract

The morphogenetic diversity of an area often determines its high geodiversity, which is subsequently used for geotourism. Areas where geotourism is being intentionally developed note the funded impacts resulting from increased interest in the area by tourists. This paper presents a morphogenetically diverse area that has been formed by glacial activity, cosmic factors—meteorite impacts, fluvial factors and anthropogenic factors—especially those related to industrial activities and settlement processes. In this manuscript, we identified and assessed geosites in the diverse landscape of the Poznań region (Poland), as well as analyzed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to possible activities aimed at the development of geotourism. The multi-criteria assessment of existing and proposed geosites and SWOT analysis was used by us to assess geotourism development potential in this genetically highly diverse landscape. The work presented here demonstrates that not all formally created geosites by geological institutions are potentially attractive from the point of view of geotourism. The main factors that reduce the attractiveness of geosites are the lack of recreational infrastructure, poor accessibility and low educational values. The spectacularity of geosites is most often determined by their aesthetic value, representativeness, rareness and paleogeographical interest. The Poznań region has a high potential for the development of geotourism due to its valuable sites (Morasko Meteorite Reserve, Dziewicza Hill, post-mining area Szachty, Genius Loci and Ostrów Tumski); however, there is a need to develop a geotourism development strategy in the area. Given the morphogenetic diversity of the study area, there is a need to create a unique landscape geointerpretation center in this part of Europe, with a role in integrating tourism and especially geotourism activities.

1. Introduction

One of the main factors determining people’s interest in an area is the diversity of its geographical environment, especially its abiotic features and the interrelationships that exist between human activities and animate nature. This diversity, known as geodiversity, has a significant impact on building the tourist attractiveness of an area, which allows for the development of geotourism [1]. Geodiversity and its complement, biodiversity, form a coherent body that determines the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems [2]. Despite the fact that geodiversity is evidence of variation in relief and geological structure, there has been little work in the literature to date on the use of geodiversity for geotourism development in landscapes with multifaceted morphogenesis. There are numerous studies referring to the adaptation of geodiversity for geotourism in coastal [3,4], insular [5,6,7], volcanic [8,9], upland and mountainous [10,11,12] areas. There are also interesting studies emphasizing the geotouristic determinants of the attractiveness of urban areas [13,14]. There are far fewer studies in the literature relating to the geotouristic use of areas covered by Pleistocene glaciations; however, these are primarily concerned with alpine glaciations [15]. Few examples concern, among others, the area of the Polish Lowlands [16] and the Firelands in Argentina [17]. Thus, the issue of geotourism development in areas within post-glacial lowlands is of interest, especially in areas with diverse landscapes.

An example of such an area is the Poznań agglomeration in Poland, the relief of which is the result not only of Pleistocene glaciations, but also cosmic factors—meteorite impacts (a rarity in this part of Europe), fluvial factors—the destructive and building activities of rivers and anthropogenic factors—especially those related to industrial activities and settlement processes [18,19]. These activities, resulting from perceived geomorphogenetic ambiguities, as evidenced by the example of the Poznań region, will justify the need for in-depth scientific research into the use of the assumptions of the geodiversity concept in relation to sustainable development implemented at different spatial scales. An intrinsic advantage of these processes will be the development of an educational infrastructure conducive to raising environmental awareness and the heritage identity of the local population. Clearly, geotourism can undoubtedly contribute to increasing tourist traffic, thus favoring the economic development of the region. The aim of the study is to identify and assess geosites in the diverse landscape of the Poznań region (post-glacial, meteoritic, fluvial, the anthropogenic origin of the landscape and relief), as well as to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to possible activities aimed at the development of geotourism.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Data Collection and Processing Methods

We selected geosites formally included in the list of the Polish Geological Society, as well as those proposed in scientific studies on the geodiversity of the region. The field inventory and analysis of literature and cartographic studies made it possible to propose new geosites not yet included in formal lists. Existing and proposed geosites located in and around the city were assessed using criteria for assessing geosites for geotourism development [20,21]. In this approach, we assessed criteria relating to scientific value (integrity, representativeness, rareness and palaeogeographical interest), added value (ecological, aesthetic and cultural) and use characteristics (protection status, threats, accessibility, security, site context, tourist infrastructure, interpretative facilities and educational interest). Each criterion is graded from 0 to 1 according to the intensity of the characteristic—the assessment is made subjectively but requires qualitative evidence of the characteristic in the form of a brief description. The final result for a geosite is the arithmetic mean of the individual results within the assessed criteria. We assessed existing geosites based on generally available material compiled by the Polish Geological Society [22], while an expert analysis based on scientific studies was carried out for the assessment of new proposed geosites. The analyses and evaluations by SWOT analysis have made it possible to identify the most important sites in order to propose the course of a geotourism route in the region of Poznań.

The methodology described is widely used in the assessment and development of geotourism [21,23,24,25]. The methodology used in the above-mentioned studies is based on earlier works [26,27], and is a synthetic and most up-to-date approach to the assessment of geosites. Although previous studies have been carried out in a relatively homogeneous landscape and in morphogenetic areas (geotectonic regions [7,28], a loess plateau region [29], urban areas [14]), in the case of our work, we have presented an extremely diverse area (especially the influence of glacial, fluvial, cosmic and anthropogenic factors—post-mining activities).

2.2. Investigation Objectives

In order to identify opportunities for geotourism development in the Poznań area, we pose the following questions:

• Which geosites in the diverse landscape of the Poznań area are potentially of greatest importance for geotourism development?
• What are the strengths, weaknesses and challenges of geotourism development in the Poznań region?

Having answers to these questions, we proceed to identify opportunities for the development of geotourism in a diverse landscape in the Poznań region (Poland).

2.3. Study Area—Landscape Diversity in the Region of Poznań (Poland)

This analysis focuses on the city of Poznań as well as its immediate surroundings located within the boundaries of Poznań County. Poznań is the fifth most populous city in Poland, located in the central part of the country, being the capital of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship. In terms of regional units, the study area is located in the zone of European Lowlands, in the landscape of the young glacial relief of the Polish Lowlands. A significant part of the study area covers the macro-region of the Wielkopolskie Lakeland, and, to a lesser extent, the Warta–Odra Proglacial Valley.

The factors that had a significant impact on the landscape of the region were mainly Pleistocene glaciations, the river activity of the Warta and a meteorite fall dated 5000 years ago. The post-glacial character of the relief of the area is distinguished by moraine plains located on the northern side of Poznań, built up, in particular, from glacial and fluvio-glacial sediments, mainly clays, sands and gravels, as well as glacitectonically deformed clays [18,30]. These formations build up the moraine hills, especially Morasko Hill (154 m a.s.l.) and Dziewicza Hill (144 m a.s.l.). It is worth noting that Morasko Hill is the site of a meteorite fall, as evidenced by the presence of several meteorite craters [31]. Other characteristic post-glacial formations include the Pożegowska Hill in Wielkopolski National Park, but also lakes and other formations located in Wielkopolski National Park, Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park, erratic boulders located within the Adam Mickiewicz University Botanical Garden, the Millennium Park in Poznań, the Lapidarium of the Institute of Geology, and a peat bog in a post-glacial in Żurawiniec Nature Reserve [32].

The Poznański Przełom Warty, on the other hand, is a section of the Warta River valley that links the Warsaw–Berlin Proglacial Valley and the Toruń–Eberswaldzka Proglacial Valley. It exhibits relief processes typical of valley–river landscapes. The Warta Valley began to form as a result of meltwater runoff during the North-Polish glaciation during the recession phase of the ice sheet [33]. The progressive retreat of the ice sheet and the activity of the fluvial waters led to the formation of the seven terrace levels visible in the present-day landscape of the Warta Valley [34,35]. It is important to note the importance of the tributaries of the Warta in the study area, including the Cybina, Główna, Kopla, Różany Strumień, Bogdanka and Junikowski Strumień, Wirynka and the artificial Mosina Canal. The varied post-glacial relief, the presence of signs of meteorite falls and the presence of the Poznański Przełom Warty caused that efforts have been made to establish a geopark in this area [36].

At the center of the study region is the city of Poznań, which has a population of over 0.5 million. Taking into account the system of river valleys in Poznań, as well as historical fortress buildings in the city, a unique wedge-ring system of greenery has formed [37,38]. The Warta Valley and the aforementioned valleys of its tributaries provide valuable natural areas that provide valuable functions for residents and tourists [19,39].

In addition to the green wedges, the following are important in shaping the landscape of Poznań’s occurrence of elements of the Poznań Fortress—a 19th century fortification and the greenery accompanying them [40]. Noteworthy are the accompanying historic buildings of the Old Town, the Imperial District, and other historic districts (Wilda, Jeżyce, Łazarz, Śródka and Chwaliszewo). There are also many post-industrial buildings in and around Poznań, including former brickyards associated with the construction of ceramic materials. Examples of such attractive tourist areas are Szachty and the ponds of former gravel pits along the Warta River [41]. However, the cultural context of the landscape of Poznań is dominated by the historical settlement on Ostrów Tumski, where there are visible signs of the formation of the Polish state [42]. Due to its history and green infrastructure, Poznań is one of the more attractive cities in Poland for tourists.

As a result of mapping analyses, literature searches and expert evaluation, 31 geosites were selected and included in this study (Table 1, Figure 1). These geosites were diverse in nature, resulting primarily from major morphogenetic factors. Among them, sites formed as a result of a meteorite impact (1), post-glacial sites (18), sites resulting from fluvial activity (6) and anthropogenic activity (6) were specified. Despite the identification of the main relief processes determining the specificity of the geosites, it should be noted that their current state is the result of the action of successive diverse processes. The complexity of the factors determining the geodiversity of the area has determined the varied landscape of the Poznań region.

Table 1. Overview and general characteristics of the assessed geosites.

Dominant Origin	Geosite Number	Geosite	Brief Description
Meteorite impact	1	Morasko Meteorite Reserve *	Six meteorite craters ranging from 20 to 90 m in diameter with a depth of 2 to 11.5 m. The craters are filled with water to form meteorite lakes.
Glacial activity	2	Exposure of Pleistocene sediments in Annowo *	Artificial exposure of sediments formed in various sedimentary environments, especially glacial and fluvio-glacial. The sediments are sandy formations (especially sands and gravels), as well as sandy clays.
	3	Kokoryczowe Hill	An elevation of moraine character covered with forest, within which there are historical objects—a palace, ruins and a historic cemetery. The hill is built of glacial sands and gravels, with boulders in places.
	4	Rural Botanical Garden Elżbietówka in Brzeźno *	The site of the occurrence of interesting rocks from the Precambrian. Among them you can see granites, sandstones and gneisses, which are characterized by a peculiar relief of the surface, bearing traces of the corrasion and erosive activity of the ice sheet.
	5	An erratic boulder in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve *	Gneiss originating from the Precambrian, transported to the Greather Poland region by the ice sheet. The perimeter of the boulder is 6 m, and the weight exceeds 10 tons.
	6	Morasko Hill *	An example of an elevation—a terminal moraine built of clays, sands and gravels of moraines, largely covered with forest and meadow vegetation. In places, there are lake sediments—sandy silt of drainless depressions. There are meteorite craters within the hill.
	7	Dziewicza Hill *	An example of an elevation—a moraine built of clays, sands and gravels of moraines, largely covered with forest vegetation. In places there are lake sediments—peats.
	8	Petrographic lapidarium of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań *	The site of the occurrence of interesting rocks, mainly magmatic rocks formed in the Paleozoic era, including Aland rapakivi, Karlshamn granite and Kalmar sandstone. The erratic boulders bear traces of transport and destructive glacial activity. Within the site, there are examples of utilitarian use of stone.
	9	Tunnel valley in the Żurawiniec Reserve	A form resulting from glacial activity, now constituting a drainless depression in which a transitional peatland has formed. Wetland area surrounded by forest.
	10	Bogdanka–Cybina tunnel valley	It is characterized by interesting landforms, the result of glacial activity and its transformation by human activity. The bottom of this tunnel valley is uneven, characterized by slopes, sills and depressions, as well as anthropogenic objects, including water reservoirs.
	11	Alpinarium at the AMU Botanical Garden	The site of interesting rocks, mainly magmatic rocks formed in the Precambrian and early Paleozoic, including granites, gneisses and sandstone. The largest has a circumference of 12 m. The erratic boulders bear traces of transport and destructive glacial activity. The surface of some boulders shows signs of corrasion.
	12	The erratic boulders in the Tysiąclecia Park	The site of interesting rocks, mainly volcanic and metamorphic, formed especially in the Precambrian era. Among them are Karlshamn granite, Smaland granites Dalarna sandstone. Transported by the ice sheet during the Pleistocene glaciation. The erratic boulders bear traces of transport and destructive glacial activity, such as visible glacial cracks.
	13	Alpinarium in Wilson Park	A publicly accessible site for the occurrence of interesting rocks of average and small size, prepared to represent the character of rocks and mountain vegetation. It is located in the center of the historic district of Poznań.
	14	Wirynka tunnel valley	The tunnel is made of sands and sandy silts, carried by the Wirynka River, which from the village of Wiry to its mouth has developed interesting fluvial forms. There is a small waterfall on the river near Łęczyca.
	15	Petrographic lapidarium in Jeziory *	Gathered examples of the most common erratic boulders in Greater Poland transported by the ice sheet from northern Europe during the Leyssinian phase of the North-Polish glaciation (20,000 years ago). Among them, you can see basalts, granites, gneisses and sandstones originating mainly from the Precambrian and Paleozoic.
	16	Bukowsko–Mosiński esker, Szwedzkie Hills *	Esker is built of sands and gravels and is the longest of its kind in Poland. “Swedish Hills” is the final part of it. It is a dike with a base width of up to 100 m and a ridge line of up to 10 m, and its height reaches up to 15 m
	17	Boulder of Prof. A. Wodziczka *	A granite boulder dating back to the Precambrian. Its circumference is more than 4.5 m. It was brought by the ice sheet from an outcrop in Smaland in southeastern Sweden.
	18	Lakes of the Górecko–Budzyńska tunnel valley	The tunnel valley is the deepest of the four in the Wielkopolski National Park. It cuts in at a depth of 30 m. The trough was carved by the meltwater of the northern Polish ice sheet during the Leszno phase.
	19	Tunnel valley of Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes *	The subglacial tunnel valley is located within the flat ground moraine. The tunnel was carved out by the meltwater of the North-Polish ice sheet during the Leszno phase.
	20	Frontal moraine in Brzeźno *	A series of moraines, the form of which is clearly marked in the relief of the area, and its foreland shows a drainage system in the form of shallow valley forms. The moraine is composed of sands, gravels and moraine clay.
Fluvial activity	21	Valley in the Śnieżycowy Jar reserve	The moraine upland was developed during the Vistula glaciation. Later, the Poznański Przełom Warty was formed and a very deep valley was cut. Numerous small valley forms developed in the edge of the upland thus formed.
	22	Oxbows lakes Kocie Doły and Kocie Dołki	Oxbows lakes formed as a result of cutting off the river bend of the Warta River. Periodically fed by flowing waters at high levels of the Warta River.
	23	Paleomeanders and an oxbow lake of the Warta River east of the village of Łęczyca	Paleomeanders are a remnant of the former bends of the Warta River. Together with the oxbow lakes, they constitute an area waterlogged during river floods. The area is also valuable for its plant communities and numerous animal species.
	24	Żarnowiec Spring *	The only karst spring in Greater Poland. It is characterized by a fairly high yield. The water here flows naturally and spontaneously to the surface at the foot of a 10 m slope of the Bukowsko–Mosiński esker.
	25	Parabolic dune and paleochannels of the rift river in Żabinko *	The wall of the exploited dune exposure shows sands and gravels with interbeds of silts and peats with plant remains. Paleochannels of the rift river are clearly visible to the east and south of the dune.
Human activity	26	Post-mining ponds in Owińska	An example of the recultivation of areas after the end of gravel mining. The layout of the water reservoirs, the presence of dikes and artificially shaped banks testify to historical industrial activity.
	27	Genius Loci and Ostrów Tumski	Exposure of a 10th-century Poznań fortified rampart in the form of a cross-section of layers up to 6 m deep. The cross-section shows the effects of human activity in the river valley over the last 1000 years.
	28	Post-mining area Szachty	A post-mining area where spontaneous renaturalization occurred after mining activities ended. Numerous water-filled post-mining depressions are present in the area, as well as dikes and steep banks testifying to historical mining activity.
	29	Post-mining ponds in Pożegowo	A water-filled pit after clay mining, located near the highest elevation of the Wielkopolski National Park—Osowa Góra.
	30	Conical mound in Bnin *	The bases of the invisible wooden structures of the concave mound lie about 2.5 m below the current level of Lake Bnin, proving its lower level at the time of the mound’s operation, some 2500–2900 years ago.
	31	Gravel pit Krosno *	The site is located within the latitudinally oriented Obra Proglacial Valley. Within the excavation site there is a significant accumulation of fossil faunal remains from the Late Glacial and Holocene in sandy and gravelly fluvial-glacial and fluvial deposits.

* This geosite is included in the list of the Polish Geological Institute. Source: own study.

Figure 1. Locations of the geosites against a background of the relief of the region of Poznań. Geosite numbers are listed in Table 1. Source: own work.

Due to the dominant post-glacial nature of the relief of the area of Poland, most of the geosites are associated with Pleistocene glaciations. Significant areas with interesting relief features are Wielkopolski National Park and Zielonka Forest Landscape Park. Due to the fact that the region of Poznań is shaped by the waters of the Warta River, some geosites are located in the river valley clearly dividing the study area, constituting the Poznański Przełom Warty physical-geographic region, as well as in the valleys of Warta’s tributaries. The geosites are presented graphically in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Selected photos of the geosites. (A)—Morasko Meteorite Reserve (1). (B)—Dziewicza Hill (7). (C)—Post-mining area Szachty (28). (D)—An erratic boulder in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve (5). (E)—Genius Loci and Ostrów Tumski (27). (F)—Paleomeanders and an oxbow lake of the Warta River east of the village of Łęczyca (23). (G)—Lakes of the Górecko-Budzyńska tunnel valley (18). (H)—Alpinarium at the AMU Botanical Garden (11). (I)—Petrographic lapidarium of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (8). (J)—Bukowsko–Mosiński esker, Szwedzkie Hills (16). (K)—Żarnowiec Spring (24). (L)—Wirynka tunnel valley (14). (M)—Post-mining ponds in Owińska (26). (N)—Petrographic lapidarium in Jeziory (15). (O)—Exposure of Pleistocene sediments in Annowo (2). Source: authors and Wielkopolski National Park (photo N).

3. Results

The evaluation of the geosites for the development of geotourism in the study area consisted of determining their importance from the perspective of scientific values, added values and use characteristics (Table 2). A ranking was developed, in which the 20 highest rated geosites were summarized in general terms (Table 3). Based on the previously mentioned assessment methodology [21], an average geosite rating of 0.6 was determined. An overall rating of greater than or equal to 0.7 was given to eight geosites, among which are sites belonging to all four described morphogenetic categories. The Morasko Meteorite Reserve (0.84) and Dziewicza Hill (0.84) received the highest ratings. The Morasko Meteorite Reserve is located in the northern part of Poznań and includes the protection of meteoritic craters, as well as rare vegetation found in the valuable natural area. It is also located on a moraine hill—a remnant of a glaciation. There is an educational trail and hiking trails in its area. The high rating of this geosite is primarily due to its unique character in the region. Dziewicza Hill is a post-glacial hill with four hiking trails, educational trails, the cultural trail “Wielkopolska Droga Świętego Jakuba” and remnants of ancient settlements. There are numerous glacial formations, including glacial lakes, as well as forms of nature protection, including a landscape park, the Natura 2000 habitat area and nature monuments. There is an observation tower on its summit, and there are dining and recreational facilities in the vicinity. Thus, such a high rating for the site is not so much due to its unique character, as there are quite a few post-glacial forms in the study area, but is related to tourist development, forms of nature conservation and also educational and cultural values. In the overall ranking, Szachty and the boulder in the Morasko Reserve (both 0.76), as well as Genius Loci and the tunnel valley of the Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes (0.73), are also high, followed by the tunnel valley of the Bogdanka-Cybina River (0.72) and the paleomeanders and oxbow lakes in Łęczyca (0.7). Szachty in Poznań is a post-mining area formed as a result of spontaneous renaturalization after the end of mining activities. Numerous post-mining depressions filled with water are present in the area. There are educational trails in the area, and a martyrological museum related to the history of the area nearby. In recent years, some recreational infrastructure has been made within Szachty. A viewing tower is located there. The high rating of this site is mainly due to its ecological, cultural and aesthetic values, as well as the good accessibility of the area and its educational values. The erratic boulder in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve is located by a hiking trail, an educational trail and has legal protection status. It is dedicated to the memory of a local sightseer, a naturalist. It comes from the vicinity of Poznań, about 55 km southwest of the place where it is exposed. The Genius Loci Reserve in Poznań is a position of great cultural, aesthetic and educational importance. It presents a fragment of Poznań—a fortified rampart from the 10th century in the form of a cross-section of layers reaching a depth of 6 m. The site, located on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań, is the center of archeological research of ancient Poznań, documenting the environmental, settlement and economic transformations of the early days of the Polish state and the city of Poznań. Numerous historic buildings are located in the vicinity. The tunnel valley of the Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes was carved by the meltwater of the northern Polish ice sheet during the Leszno phase. Adjacent to the tunnel valley are flat and undulating ground moraines and sandstones. The total area of the lakes in the trough is about 6 km². The main assets of the site are its scientific and ecological values, combined with forms of nature protection and satisfactory tourist development and accessibility. The Cybina–Bogdanka tunnel valley is characterized by interesting landforms, the result of glacial activity and its transformation by human activity. The bottom of this trough is uneven, characterized by the presence of slopes, sills and depressions, as well as anthropogenic objects, including water reservoirs used for recreation. Within its boundaries there are forms of nature protection—ecological utilities, a protected landscape area and natural monuments. Hiking trails and educational trails have been laid out along it, as well as a recreational infrastructure. The high rating of the site is due to its ecological, aesthetic, cultural and educational values, combined with satisfactory tourist development and accessibility. The last of the eight highest-rated geosites, valuable primarily for its ecological and educational values and forms of nature conservation, is the paleomeanders and the Warta River oxbow lake, located east of the village of Łęczyca. A fragment of this area is the Zalewy Nadwarciańskie Strict Protection Area, near which is the forest settlement of Kątnik, which is also a site of historical significance, related to the events of the end of World War II.

Table 2. Geosite assessment by geosite type.

Geosite Type	Geosite Number	Integrity	Representativeness	Rareness	Paleogeographical Interest	Total Scientific Values	Ecological	Aesthetical	Cultural	Total Added Values	Protection Status	Threats	Accessibility	Security	Site Context	Tourist Infrastructure	Interpretive Facilities	Educational Interest	Total Use Characteristics	Geosite Score
Meteorite	1	1	1	1	1	1.00	1	1	0.25	0.75	1	0.75	1	1	0	0.75	0.75	1	0.78	0.84
Glacial	2	0.75	0.75	0.5	1	0.75	0	0.5	0	0.17	0	0.5	0	0.5	0	0	0	0.25	0.16	0.36
	3	0.75	0.5	0.5	1	0.69	0.5	0.5	1	0.67	1	0.75	0.75	0.75	0	0.75	0	0.25	0.53	0.63
	4	0.75	1	0.25	1	0.75	0	0.75	0	0.25	0	0.75	0.5	1	0	0.5	0.25	0.75	0.47	0.49
	5	1	1	0.75	1	0.94	0	1	0.75	0.58	1	1	1	1	0	0.75	0.25	1	0.75	0.76
	6	1	1	0.25	1	0.81	1	0.75	0.25	0.67	1	0.75	1	0.5	0	0.75	0	0.25	0.53	0.67
	7	1	1	0.25	1	0.81	1	1	1	1.00	1	0.75	1	0.5	0	1	0.5	1	0.72	0.84
	8	1	1	0.75	1	0.94	0	0	1	0.33	1	1	0.75	1	0	0.25	0.5	1	0.69	0.65
	9	0.75	1	0.5	0.5	0.69	1	0.5	0.5	0.67	1	0.25	0.75	1	0	0.5	0.25	0.25	0.50	0.62
	10	0.5	0.75	0.5	0.75	0.63	1	0.75	0.75	0.83	1	0.5	1	0.75	0	1	0.25	1	0.69	0.72
	11	1	0.75	0.75	1	0.88	0	1	0.5	0.50	1	1	0.75	1	0	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.69	0.69
	12	0.75	1	0.75	1	0.88	0	0.25	0.75	0.33	0	0.75	1	1	0	0.5	0.25	0.25	0.47	0.56
	13	0.5	0	0.5	0.25	0.31	0	1	0.5	0.50	0	0.5	1	1	0	0.75	0	0.25	0.44	0.42
	14	1	0.75	0.75	0.75	0.81	1	0.5	0.25	0.58	1	0.75	0.5	0.5	0	0.25	0	0.25	0.41	0.60
	15	0.5	1	0.25	1	0.69	0	0.5	0	0.17	1	1	0.5	1	0	1	0.25	1	0.72	0.52
	16	0.75	1	0.25	1	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.5	0.50	1	1	0.5	1	0	0.75	0.25	1	0.69	0.65
	17	1	1	0.25	0.75	0.75	0	0.5	0	0.17	1	1	0.5	1	0	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.66	0.52
	18	0.75	0.75	0.75	1	0.81	1	0.75	0.25	0.67	1	0.5	0.5	0.75	0	0.75	0.25	1	0.59	0.69
	19	0.75	1	0.75	1	0.88	1	0.75	0	0.58	1	0.75	1	0.75	0.25	1	0.25	0.75	0.72	0.73
	20	0.75	1	0.5	0.75	0.75	0.25	0.25	0	0.17	0	0.75	0.5	1	0	0	0	0.5	0.34	0.42
Fluvial	21	0.75	0.75	0.5	1	0.75	1	0.5	0.25	0.58	1	0.75	0.5	0.75	0	0.5	0.25	0.5	0.53	0.62
	22	0.5	0.5	0.25	0.5	0.44	0.75	0.75	0	0.50	0	0.25	1	0.75	0.25	0.5	0.25	0.25	0.41	0.45
	23	1	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.69	1	0.5	0.75	0.75	1	1	0.5	1	0	0.5	0.25	1	0.66	0.70
	24	1	1	1	0.75	0.94	0	0.75	0	0.25	1	1	0.5	1	0	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.66	0.61
	25	0.5	1	0.75	1	0.81	0	0	0	0.00	0	0.25	0.5	0	1	0	0	1	0.34	0.39
Anthropogenic	26	0.5	0.75	0.5	0	0.44	0.25	1	1	0.75	0	0.5	0.75	0.5	0.25	1	0.5	0.75	0.53	0.57
	27	0.5	1	1	1	0.88	0	1	1	0.67	0	0.75	1	1	0	0.75	0.75	1	0.66	0.73
	28	0.5	1	0.75	0.5	0.69	1	1	1	1.00	0	0.5	1	0.75	0.25	0.5	0.75	1	0.59	0.76
	29	0.75	0.5	0.5	0.25	0.50	0.75	0.75	0.5	0.67	0	0.5	0.5	0.75	0.25	0.75	0.25	0.25	0.41	0.52
	30	0.5	1	0.75	0.5	0.69	0	0.5	1	0.50	0	1	0.5	1	0	0.25	0.25	1	0.50	0.56
	31	0.25	1	1	1	0.81	0	0	0	0.00	0	0.25	0.5	0	1	0	0	0.5	0.28	0.36
Average		0.74	0.85	0.58	0.81	0.75	0.44	0.61	0.44	0.50	0.52	0.7	0.7	0.79	0.1	0.59	0.26	0.69	0.54	0.60

m—meteorite. Geosites numbers are listed in Table 1. Source: own study based on [21].

Table 3. Ranking of geosites in general.

Geosite	Number	Type	Score
Morasko Meteorite Reserve *	1	Meteorite	0.84
Dziewicza Hill *	7	Glacial	0.84
Post-mining area Szachty	28	Anthropogenic	0.76
An erratic boulder in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve *	5	Glacial	0.76
Genius Loci and Ostrów Tumski	27	Anthropogenic	0.73
Tunnel valley of Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes *	19	Glacial	0.73
Bogdanka–Cybina tunnel valley	10	Glacial	0.72
Paleomeanders and an oxbow lake of the Warta River east of the village of Łęczyca	23	Fluvial	0.70
Lakes of the Górecko–Budzyńska tunnel valley	18	Glacial	0.69
Alpinarium at the AMU Botanical Garden	11	Glacial	0.69
Morasko Hill *	6	Glacial	0.67
Petrographic lapidarium of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań *	8	Glacial	0.65
Bukowsko-Mosiński esker, Szwedzkie Hills *	16	Glacial	0.65
Kokoryczowe Hill	3	Glacial	0.63
Valley in the Śnieżycowy Jar reserve	21	Fluvial	0.62
Tunnel valley in the Żurawiniec Reserve	9	Glacial	0.62
Żarnowiec Spring *	24	Fluvial	0.61
Wirynka tunnel valley	14	Glacial	0.60
Post-mining ponds in Owińska	26	Anthropogenic	0.57
Conical mound in Bnin *	30	Anthropogenic	0.56

Source: own work. * The geosite is included in the list of the Polish Geological Institute.

The ranking is closed by geosites with a score below 0.4. These are the parabolic dune in Żabinko (0.39), the gravel pit in Krosno and the exposure of Pleistocene sediments in Annowo (both 0.36). These sites, despite their relatively high scientific values (0.75–0.81), received the lowest scores in the groups of criteria including use values and added values.

The average score of scientific values is 0.75. Similarly, the Morasko Meteorite Reserve (1.00) ranks highest, followed by the erratic boulder in the reserve, the IGUAM Petrographic Lapidarium and the Żarnowiec Spring (0.94), while the lowest score was given to the alpinarium in Wilson Park (0.31). A value significantly lower than the average was determined for geosite rareness (0.58), which is conditioned primarily by glacial and fluvial formations commonly found in the area.

In the case of added values, the average rating of geosites is equal to 0.5, and the highest values apply to the geosites Dziewicza Hill and Szachty (1), as well as the Bogdanka–Cybina tunnel valley (0.83). In this criterion, the lowest value was achieved by the geosites Parabolic Dune in Żabinko and Gravel Pit Krosno (0). In this context, the highest value was determined under the criterion of aesthetic values, under which a score of 1.00 was achieved by the Morasko Meteorite Reserve and the erratic boulder, Dziewicza Hill, Genius Loci, Szachy post-mining ponds and post-mining reservoirs in Owińska, the alpinarium in the Botanical Garden and Wilson Park.

The average value of use characteristics is 0.54, with a significantly higher score under this criterion given to the Morasko Meteorite Reserve (0.78) and the boulder in the reserve (0.75), Dziewicza Hill, the tunnel valley of Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes and the Petrographic Lapidarium in Jeziory (all 0.72), as well as the alpinarium in the Botanical Garden, the IGUAM Lapidarium, the Bogdanka–Cybina tunnel valley, and the Bukowsko–Mosiński esker and Szwedzkie Hills (all 0.69). Definitely low within this criterion are the geosites of the post-glacial dykes in Annowo (0.16) and the Krosno gravel pit (0.28). The degree of developed tourist infrastructure (especially hiking trails, catering and accommodation), educational interest (especially the presence of educational trails and boards and opportunities for the educational use of geosites), security in the use of geosites and threats to geosites have a significant impact on the assessment under use characteristics. In the case of many geosites, a small degree of other uses of geosites (site context) was shown, and possible higher values of this criterion are due to the possibility of obtaining construction materials—gravel (the parabolic dune Żabinko and the Gravel pit Krosno), or observed recreational fishing (e.g., the tunnel valley of Kórnik–Zaniemyśl lakes, Szachty, post-mining ponds in Owińska, the clay ponds Pożegowo and oxbow lakes Kocie doły).

In general, the highest suitability for the development of geotourism is the geosite included in the meteorite class (0.84) standing out in the study area. Despite the highest abundance, a great potential for the development of geotourism in the area is shown by the adoption for these purposes of some geosite of post-glacial origin (0.61), especially those occurring within the moraine hills in the north of the area and within the boundaries of the Wielkopolski National Park. Geosites of anthropogenic origin are assessed as average (0.59); however, against their background, Genius Loci and Szachty in Poznań have a clearly high potential for adoption for geotourism. The overall score for geosites of fluvial origin is 0.55.

The assessment made it possible to determine the degree of adaptability of an individual geosite for geotourism development and provides a basis for further analysis. An important issue is the identification of strengths and weaknesses, as well as the existing opportunities and threats to the development of geotourism in the study area (Table 4).

Table 4. The SWOT analysis for geotourism development in the study area.

	Positive Factors	Negative Factors
Internal factors	Strengths High morphogenetic diversity of the area, High scientific value of geosites, High level of protection status (use characteristics) and ecological values (added values) of natural objects, Large city (Poznań) in the center of the area with highly developed accommodation, gastronomic, and transportation infrastructure, Presence of cultural trails in Poznań, Strongly developed historical and post-industrial infrastructure integrated with the natural environment (Poznań Fortress as part of the green system in Poznań, post-industrial objects as examples of revitalization after historical exploitation of building materials).	Weaknessess Due to the ambiguous and complex genesis of landforms, actions in the field of environmental education and landscape interpretation are necessary, Some objects are difficult to access by transportation and lack infrastructure, Tourist routes lead only to the most well-known objects and are located only in certain areas, Some geotouristic objects are primarily known to the scientific community, There has been a lack of promotion of geodiversity at a city and regional levels, and geotourism is not supported by decision-makers in the region’s development, There are no references to the development of geotourism in the strategy for the development of the city of Poznań until 2030, So far, municipalities have not taken action to promote geotourism.
External factors	Opportunities The diverse terrain provides an opportunity to create a unique landscape geointerpretation center in this part of Europe, Establishing a geotouristic route that integrates geological, morphogenetic, and cultural heritage, Creating thematic geotouristic or geoeducational trails to enhance outdoor educational activities, Strengthening efforts towards establishing a geopark, The possibility of reorienting the region’s promotion strategy as a region with high geotouristic potential, Deepening international cooperation in research on geodiversity in diverse landscapes.	Threats The need to secure funding for the construction of an educational center for landscape geointerpretation and recreational development in some valuable natural and scenic areas (e.g., the valley of the Wirynka river), High regional identification associated with historical contexts is a positive promotional aspect in terms of heritage; however, it may hinder the promotion of geological and geomorphological values, Ongoing suburbanization processes may negatively impact the aesthetics of valuable natural areas surrounding Poznań, In case of intensified tourist traffic, there is a risk of anthropogenic pressure affecting environmentally valuable areas (especially national parks, landscape parks, nature reserves).

The strengths of the area, which are conducive to the development of geotourism, are primarily varied relief, which is the result of the activity of four morphogenetic factors—glacial activity, fluvial activity, the effect of the meteorite impact on Morasko and recent anthropogenic transformations of the relief, resulting primarily in post-mining areas in the area of Owińska, southern Poznań, Luboń and Mosina [32]. At the same time, it should be noted that geosites representing the aforementioned diverse reliefs already exist within the study area, and some of them are characterized by a very high scientific value, being the subject of long-term and interdisciplinary scientific studies. Examples of these geosites are undoubtedly the Morasko Meteorite Reserve [31,32,43,44,45], moraine hills in the northern part of Poznań [32,46], as well as geosites located in the Wielkopolski National Park and Szachty [38,47,48]. Due to the history of research on these sites and the observed ecological values, these geosites are accompanied by established legal forms of nature protection, which makes them more attractive for tourists to explore. At the same time, they are places that provide opportunities for regeneration, rest and recreation. Another strong point of the area is the presence of Poznań as a dynamically developing, modern city with a developed tourist infrastructure. Poznań is an area attractive to tourists because of its history (the beginning of Polish statehood in Ostrów Tumski, a fortress infrastructure, two historic castles), the presence of museums and the Renaissance Town Hall in the Old Market. Numerous cultural trails have been established in Poznań (including the Royal-Imperial Route, the Poznań Water and Greenery Route, the Jewish Heritage Route and the Reformation Heritage Route). Another important benefit is that historical sites are integrated into the urban greenery system, which, in the case of the layout of fortress buildings and the course of river valleys, made it possible to develop a ring and wedge system of urban greenery that is unique on a European scale [49,50]. In turn, post-mining areas, such as Szachty or the ponds in Owińska, have become the subject of reclamation activities, contributing to their adaptation for the development of green and blue infrastructure and recreation.

The morphogenetic diversity of the area can also be considered in terms of weaknesses, which becomes apparent through difficulties in understanding geomorphological processes and interpreting the genesis of relief forms. The diverse relief of the area is, therefore, a challenge for local education and the promotion of the relief as a tourist asset. Most likely, these morphogenetic ambiguities have influenced the fact that geotourism assets have not played an important role in the city’s promotional activities. One piece of evidence is the lack of reference to varied relief in the Strategy for the Development of the City of Poznań 2020+ which should be seen as an underestimation of these qualities in the context of tourist attractiveness. It is also worth noting that most of the geosites are known primarily to the scientific community or are little known (e.g., Żarnowiec Spring, Szwedzkie Hills, the parabolic dune in Żabinko, the end moraine in Brzeźno, the gravel pit in Krosno, the Rural Botanical Garden Elżbietówka in Brzeźno and the petrographic lapidarium of the Adam Mickiewicz University). The reason for this is probably the insufficient promotion of these sites and a poorly developed network of tourist trails, which run primarily in naturally valuable areas (Wielkopolski National Park, Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park, river valleys in Poznań), but these do not always lead to geotouristically attractive objects. Some of them are also extremely difficult to reach (e.g., the exposure in Annowo), due to the form of ownership (e.g., the Krosno gravel pit, the dune in Żabinko).

The identified strengths and weaknesses, especially with regard to the genesis of the relief, provide an opportunity to create a unique landscape geointerpretation center in this part of Europe, with a role in integrating tourism and especially geotourism activities. This initiative, which would increase the tourist attractiveness of the region, would also be a center for the popularization of knowledge about the genesis of the landscape, the functioning of natural systems and geoeducation in Central Europe, with particular emphasis on the diverse landscape of the Poznań area. An important opportunity in this regard is the use of existing and proposed geosites to create a geotourism trail of regional scope taking into account the qualities of the relief, which, at the same time, would complement the current base of existing cultural trails, especially those with historical themes. Taking into account the results of this study, this trail would include both features related to meteoritic, glacial, fluvial and anthropogenic genesis. The sites included in the proposed trail, in our opinion, should serve as a base in terms of geoheritage promotion, thus being the most important nodes marking the geotourism movement in the region. In addition, due to the newly emerging attractive infrastructure (e.g., a pedestrian and bicycle footbridge and a viewing platform in Owińska), we see an opportunity to create new educational trails, e.g., a nature and history trail in the area of Radojewo and Owińska, an ecological trail along the Wirynka River or an industrial heritage trail in Poznań. These activities are justified because of the increasing popularity of these areas; still, at the same time, it is necessary to sensitize against anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment. Undoubtedly, the proposed offer of new trails and educational trails would be used in school and academic education, such as for the implementation of field classes in nature education. These geotourism and geoeducational initiatives are part of the concept of establishing a geopark in the vicinity of Poznań [36], and their implementation could help strengthen the case for its establishment. However, the cited opportunities for adapting the area for geotourism will not be realized without incorporating the promotion of the qualities of the relief into the region’s development strategy.

Generally, most activities leading to the intensification of tourist traffic can contribute to anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment [51]. In the context of the Poznań area and its surroundings, the proposed establishment of a landscape geointerpretation center, the designation of a geotouristic route and geotouristic or geoeducational trails could also pose a threat. However, as demonstrated by examples from other locations, with adequate protection and the adaptation of a tourist infrastructure, the natural consequences may be insignificant [52]. Particularly vulnerable in this regard could be areas such as the Wielkopolski National Park and the Zielonka Forest Landscape Park. Although there is already tourist infrastructure in these areas, actions to prevent the negative effects of anthropogenic pressure should primarily be implemented within the Morasko Meteorite Reserve, which has been less popular in terms of tourism. Considering the limited previous involvement of local authorities in promoting geotourism, a significant task is securing financial resources for the construction of the aforementioned landscape geointerpretation center, as well as the development and implementation of a geotouristic route of regional significance, as well as local geotouristic and geoeducational trails. It is also worth noting that the strong identification of the area with historical heritage (the center of the Piast state, Poznań, and its surroundings as the place of origin of the Polish state) may have an inhibiting effect on the popularization of geoheritage. Legal-formal threats and securing funds for the construction of comprehensive geotouristic infrastructure are, therefore, the main challenges in relation to the adaptation of the Poznań area and its surroundings for geotourism purposes. There are also other factors that may pose a threat to the development of geotourism, which are difficult to predict, such as political, economic changes or extreme phenomena.

4. Conclusions

This study conducted in the landscape of the region of Poznań was aimed at identifying and evaluating existing and proposed geosites and analyzing their scientific, added and use value. This study, based on the methodology described in the scientific literature (multi-criterial geosites assessment and SWOT analysis), made it possible to identify the most important problems related to the development of geotourism in the region. The area of Poznań and its surroundings has a great potential for geotourism thanks to its varied landscape, resulting mainly from glacial, riverine activities and the effects of the meteorite impact, but also thanks to its rich historical heritage. The evaluation of geosites, both existing and proposed, belonging to each of these four categories, provided the opportunity to select the most attractive sites. This allowed us to conclude that there is potential for the creation of a unique landscape geointerpretation center that would integrate tourism activities in the region and popularize knowledge about the genesis of the landscape of Poznań and its surroundings. However, the diversity of this landscape also poses challenges related to the difficulty of interpreting the genesis of landforms. It is also necessary to realize the need to protect the area from the negative effects of anthropopression associated with the intensification of tourist traffic. It will also be necessary to increase the involvement of local authorities in the promotion of geotourism and provide funding for the construction of appropriate infrastructure.