LANDSCAPE ARCHETYPE - UNIQUE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

In terms of landscape ecology, landscape archetypes can be defined by a preserved typical character and functional spatial arrangement of the historical landscape structure. The originality of individual landscape archetypes is determined by natural conditions in a specific location. The validity of landscape archetype research stems from the European Landscape Convention (2000). The aim of this paper is to present landscape archetypes as a current issue and to emphasize the importance of their preservation for sustainable land use and tourism. The result is a proposal for landscape archetype research methodology. This paper includes a brief discussion about the impact of different tourism forms on specific landscape archetypes in the Spis region (Levoca, Zdiar, Jezersko).