Geomorphosites Assessment in Karst Terrains: Anina Karst Region (Banat Mountains, Romania)

This paper presents the assessment of geomorphosites for one of the most important karst regions in Romania, where geomorphological features represent the main touristic attractions due to their density and due to their representativeness for the study area. We used the Pralong method for geomorphosites assessment in the Anina karst region (Banat Mountains). Many geomorphological sites, such as karst springs, caves, gorges and karst plateaus with a high density of karst features, are situated in the study area, sites that will be evaluated as geomorphosites in this article. The present study is important in public awareness of the role of natural features in local development, drawing attention to the local authorities and to the general public regarding the role of geomorphological features in tourism development. For the Anina karst region, it is important that these geomorphosites are appropriately exploited in order to protect the karst landscape, because many studies consider it more important to protect and conserve the geomorphosites, rather than using this geomorphological heritage as a touristic direction.