Abstract

Tourist offer for the older and disabled is getting wider. Many hotels and cities are adjusted to disabled people's needs, but there are not enough safe places for leisure, where they could be surrounded by nature. In comparison with cities - villages and small towns have very little to offer as far as tourism is concerned. This problem is noticed by small local communities that threat it as a chance for their economical development. In Poland elderly and disabled people are rather poor, so the tourist offer should be adjusted to their financial possibilities. Traveling to attractive places away from big cities, however pretty close to their houses, might be an essential cognitive element of natural environment and social rehabilitation. Gdansk Institute of Technology - Architecture Department together with National Forests are searching for naturally beautiful land for recreation that could be easily transformed to satisfy disabled people's needs. The criteria of choice are how easy it is to get there and if it is possible to adjust tourist routs which already exist. There should be attractive scenery and some possibility of creating viewpoints. The simplest solutions making use of nature should be taken in order to limit the cost. One of places chosen for modern project of Wood Leisure Centre is situated in the mouth of Vistula River, next to a wildlife park. The goal of this project is to create a place accessible for disabled people with different dysfunctions. Walk paths and ecological education paths should be adjusted to the blind, shortsighted and mentally disabled, so that they will be able to examine fauna and flora, especially viewpoints prepared to relax in the open air.

Author (1)