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The field-trip ?Geotouristic attractions of Europe? constitutes a vital element of studies program for students AGH University of Science and Technology at Krakow, Poland, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection. These students specialize in Geotourism, obtaining the Msc degree. For many students the field-trip provides the first opportunity to visit the selected, leading tourist and geological attractions in various parts of the Alps, along the Adriatic Sea cost, in Dinarides, in the Pannonian lowland or in the Bükk Mountains. For others, who have already visited these sites as conventional tourists, an opportunity appears to gain knowledge on geological structure, lithology, and geomorphology, past and present geological processes, conservation of abiotic nature sites as well as applied aspects of earth sciences.
The route across Eastern Alps offers unforgettable panoramas along the High Alpine Road (Hochalpenstrasse) and allows studying the geology the High Tauern Range, including splendid ophiolitic sequences of the Penninic Ocean and various complexes of Paleozoic metamorphic rocks. The Pasterze Glacier, the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps is a good example of the mountain glaciation phenomenon. The Italian Dolomites enable students to observe carbonate platforms and facies architectures of the sedimentary basins in the beautiful mountainous scenery. Venice is the example of the cultural heritage site endangered by natural subsidence enhanced by human activity. In Slovenia educational trails leads through the classic karst features with caves, underground rivers and canyons, huge sinkholes lakes and waterfalls. Along the Adriatic coast students examine the Mesozoic carbonate platform sedimentation as well as the recent near-shore environment, e.g. the activity of rock-boring bivalves. The Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia includes the group of 16 karstic lakes and almost 100 waterfalls and cascades. The Jurassic ophiolitic sequences of Tethyan Ocean are exposed in the Medvednica Mountains near Zagreb and in the Bükk Mountains in northern Hungary. The Neogene volcanism was observed along the Balaton Lake in Central Hungary. The weathering basalts and ophiolitic rocks form soils excellent for the wine growing. Hungary is perfect place to learn about Terroir ? the relationship between wine and geology, tasting famous Egri Bikaver (Bulls blood) red wine or Badacsonyi white wine.
The students can recognize, how and when the specific objects were formed, how they have been changing and what is their future from the point of view if geological time scale. Combination of geographical, geological and geomorphologic knowledge is the essence of geotourism.
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