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As well as serving economic functions, forests in Poland are places of rest and recreation. However, a particular form of the latter, not necessarily coming to mind as a first association, is illegal motorised tourism, which entails entries into forests in or on off-road cars, quads, and cross and enduro motorcycles. With a view to achieving fuller insight into these activities, and the problems they pose, the present article offers the results of analyses as regards the spatial distribution, intensity and characteristics of the phenomenon. The effectiveness of existing tools to combat the practice is then assessed, prior to a presentation of solutions foresters propose, to ensure that infringements of the law are counteracted, even as compromises are arrived at so that the needs of various groups of user of forests are met. Data supporting such an approach to analysis derive from questionnaire-surveying targeted at Poland’s Forest Districts. Some 332 of Poland’s 430 Districts elected to participate in the survey, with the vast majority (as many as 86.45%) recording illegal entries, most often featuring motorcycles or quads, and slightly less often involving off-road cars. This denotes a phenomenon affecting at least 66.74% of Poland’s Forest Districts. Indeed, the phenomenon of illegal motorised tourism in forests is seen to be spread rather evenly across the country, even as certain Forest Districts see this as being among the most important problems faced. Among the 287 affected FDs, 90.59% assess this as a problem that is either growing or maintained at the same level. Manifestations are of both an individual or collective nature (through with the former dominant) and with local people by far the most involved. 42.86% of respondents regarded legal provisions relevant to illegal entry into the forest as ineffective (though 36.24% were of the opposite opinion). Those not satisfied pointed to penalties that are too low, and powers of the Forest Guard that are too limited. While the problem of illegal motorised tourism affects forest areas across the country, FDs’ conviction that locals are the main culprits ensures that preventative measures will mainly be local in scope. That would denote an increased involvement for local authorities in the combating of the practice, as well as educational activity in the direction of the stigmatisation of specific activities, the elimination of tacit public consent for the breaking of the law, and the provisioning of legal alternatives to illegal motorised tourism. While effective combating of a negative phenomenon is sought by foresters, who therefore demand comprehensive amendment of the law, those involved are nevertheless willing to countenance the development of specially-organised routes for off-road driving.

Since 2014, there has been a rapid development of the network of hiking trails in the Sowie Mountains, being part of the processes taking place in various parts of the Sudeten Mountains, especially in the Central Sudeten. These changes were analysed using i.a. graph analysis. The changes in the degree of development and coherence of the hiking trail network after World War II were determined and the reasons for marking new routes were examined, taking into account the tourist attractiveness of the area and the role these sections play in the network. The length of hiking trails in the Sowie Mountains in 2022 compared to 2005 almost doubled, with an approximate threefold increase in the number of nodes and sections between them. As a result the coherence of the network slightly decreased, but the possibilities of organising trips have clearly improved. There are many positive aspects of the development of the trail network in the Sowie Mountains. The new routes are related to the sightseeing values, they refer to the location of public transport stops, but also parking lots at the foot of the mountains and at the passes. There is a clear tendency to reduce the share of the asphalt surface.

Along the Czech-German border there are four national parks, two Czech and two German, arranged in cross-border ‘pairs’. This article focuses on the southern ‘pair’ formed by the parks of Šumava and Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest). The aim is to evaluate and compare tourism organization in their areas, taking into account selected aspects of management: the network of hiking trails with its related infrastructure, transport accessibility, a typology of tourist centers, as well as directions and destinations of tourist movements. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the availability of geographical space for tourists is much greater in the German than in the Czech national park, and the tourism infrastructure is clearly more extensive there, including the network of tourist trails. This is mainly due to the longer and fairly uninterrupted development of tourism in this area. Šumava National Park can be identified as a model in terms of how to adjust the directions of tourist movements and the layout of the tourist trail network to the needs of natural environment. On the basis of observations in both national parks, it is possible to indicate various solutions that, after appropriate adaptation, may bring benefits to other protected areas.

A view is often more than just a piece of landscape, framed by the gaze and evoking emotion. Without diminishing these obvious ‘tourism-important’ advantages of a view, it is noteworthy that in itself it might play the role of an interpretative tool, especially for large-scale phenomena, the knowledge and understanding of which is the goal of geotourism. In this paper, we analyze the importance of scenic drives and trails for tourism, particularly geotourism, focusing on their ability to create conditions for experiencing the dynamically changing landscapes in which lies knowledge of the natural processes shaping the Earth’s surface and the methods and degree of its resource exploitation. The issues are found in both wider and local contexts. A more detailed insight has been conducted on the basis of two, although in some sense peripheral, tourism regions from the Sudeten Mountains (southwestern Poland): Lasocki Grzbiet (a ridge) and Pasmo Lesistej (a small range). The subjects of the investigation were complex: the geotourism potential of selected viewpoints located on the most scenic routes (mostly paths and forest tracks) as well as the problems of maintenance, conservation, and protection of their educational value. Our work is based on desk and field research supported by results of GIS visibility analyses (conducted in the QGIS program).

Perception of automotive tourism and motivations of visitors to automotive museums and participants of automotive events The aim of the article is to present the results of research on perception of automotive tourism and tourists’ motivations to participate in this form of mobility. The authors propose to define automotive tourism as a form of tourism in which the aim and travellers’ motivation is to visit places related to the automotive industry, important for its development and history. So far, research on this issue has been insufficient. The survey was conducted in the summer season of tourist movement in 2019 among 194 visitors to automobile museums and 217 participants of automotive events. The most frequently indicated motivations for participation in automotive tourism were interests, curiosity, willingness to spend time with the family and to spend free time generally, but also the willingness to be an active participant in the event was often chosen. The understanding of the definition of automotive tourism proposed by the authors is shared by about half of the respondents, but a large part understands it in the context of traveling by car or motorcycle in order to reach a tourist attraction, which in the literature is usually referred to as car or drive tourism. Automotive tourism shows strong connections with cultural, family and event tourism. Zarys treści: Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wyników badań motywacji osób uczestniczących w turystyce motoryzacyjnej oraz postrzegania tej formy turystyki. Autorzy proponują definiować turystykę motoryzacyjną jako formę turystyki, w której celem i motywacją podróżujących jest odwiedzenie miejsc związanych z motoryzacją, ważnych dla jej rozwoju i historii. Dotychczas badania prowadzone w tej problematyce są w opinii autorów niewystarczające. Badania ankietowe zostały przeprowadzone w sezonie letnim ruchu turystycznego w 2019 r. wśród 194 osób odwiedzających muzea motoryzacyjne oraz 217 uczestników wydarzeń motoryzacyjnych. Najczęściej wskazywanymi motywacjami uczestnictwa w turystyce motoryzacyjnej były: zainteresowanie motoryzacją, ciekawość, chęć spędzenia czasu z rodziną i czasu wolnego, a także bycie czynnym uczestnikiem wydarzeń. Rozumienie pojęcia turystyki motoryzacyjnej zaproponowane przez autorów podziela mniej więcej połowa respondentów, jednak duża część badanych rozumie ją w kontekście przemieszczania się samochodem lub motocyklem w celu dotarcia do atrakcji turystycznej, co w literaturze zwykle określa się mianem turystyki samochodowej. Turystyka motoryzacyjna wykazuje silne związki z turystyką kulturową, rodzinną i eventową.

In the present experiment it was hypothesised that dietary strawberry ellagitannin-rich extracts would mitigate negative consequences associated with consumption. Therefore, two extracts rich in dimeric (D-ET) or monomeric (M-ET) ellagitannins (ETs) were added to a standard or high-fat diet fed to rats for four weeks. The D-ET-rich extract contained 82.3% polyphenols, and the M-ET/D-ET ratio was 40 : 60, while the M-ET-rich extract contained 88.0% and 96 : 4, respectively. The experimental feeding with high-fat diets containing extracts resulted in beneficial mitigating effects in the lipid profile, redox status of the rat's liver and blood plasma. According to the accepted hypothesis, the obtained results pointed at increased desired hepatic and plasma modifications when the extract was rich in M-ET, as indicated by favourable changes in the hepatic fat content, GSH and GSSG concentrations and GSH/GSSG ratio as well as blood plasma FRAP, ACL, HDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic coefficient values. These changes were partly connected to the fact that M-ET was more prone vs. D-ET to intestinal microbial conversion into respective metabolites. The urinary daily excretion of ET metabolites and their blood plasma concentrations were higher in rats fed with M-ET vs. D-ET-rich diets. To conclude, the metabolic action of the M-ET-rich extract in the normalization of high-fat-induced disturbances was more pronounced.

Curcumin (1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) -1,6-heptadine-3,5-dione) is also referred to as diferuloylmethane and it is the main polyphenol founded in Curcuma longa (turmeric). They are three mainly curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin) in the turmeric root [1]. Curcumin belongs to the group of natural compounds and has a number of properties that affect its wide application in many different industries [2,3]. Due to its characteristic yellow colour it is also successfully used as a food coloring. Curcumin is also often used in the pharmaceutical industry. It is used in the treatment of various pathological conditions. It is because of a number of properties like for example anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-rheumatic, antimicrobial and anti-diabetic. Moreover, curcumin has been shown to be protective for the liver, heart, kidneys and neurons [3]. Curcumin is also characterized by a beneficial effect on afflictions such as arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, flatulence, dysentery, jaundice, acne, eye and skin infections. It also works very well as a wound remedy [4]. Curcumin is also used as a seasoning and dye in the food industry because it is a safe substance belonging to the group of polyphenolic compounds [3,5]. Due to many mentioned properties, curcumin is used in an increasing number of preparations which are available all over the world [4]. Unfortunately, the clinical application of described substance, due to its features, may be difficult. Curcumin is characterized by poor water solubility, poor absorption, fast metabolism and elimination, as well as low bioavailability [2]. A number of conducted studies indicates that various methods based on nanoparticles, inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins, liposomes or microemulsions improved the bioavailability of curcumin and they enabled to use a number of properties of this polyphenol [6]. Poor water solubility, poor penetration and absorption capacity and as a results low bioavailability pose challenges during preparing a formulation based on curcumin [7].

In the article tourist management in two national parks in the Czech-German borderland are being compared, namely Bohemian ‘Switzerland’ (also known as Czech ‘Switzerland’) and Saxon ‘Switzerland’. Situated on either side of the state border, they feature the same type of geographical environment. Transport accessibility, transborder links and the hiking trail network are analyzed using methodology sourced from graph theory. The result of the analyses is a classification of tourist hubs and tourist centers, as well as an indication of the main directions of tourist flow. The German national park is decidedly more accessible but with a detrimental effect on the natural environment primarily due to its fragmentation by a dense network of tourist trails. In both parks trails enter the core zone (in theory a strict protection area) but this occurs on a larger scale on the German side. In the Czech national park a greater number of positive examples of managing tourist movements can be identified. Additionally, larger areas managed for dispersion, or from which tourists are generally excluded, are located there.

About 40% of newly-discovered entities are poorly soluble in water, and this may be an obstacle in the creation of new drugs. To address this problem, the present review article examines the structure and properties of cyclodextrins and the formation and potential uses of drug – cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides containing six or more D-(+)- glucopyranose units linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds, which are characterized by a favourable toxicological profile, low local toxicity and low mucous and eye irritability; they are virtually non-toxic when administered orally. They can be incorporated in the formulation of new drugs in their natural form (α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrin) or as chemically-modified derivatives. They may also be used as an excipient in drugs delivered by oral, ocular, dermal, nasal and rectal routes, as described in the present paper. Cyclodextrins are promising compounds with many beneficial properties, and their use may be increasingly profitable for pharmaceutical scientists.

Purpose. In this article, the position of Polish scientists is presented with regard to the impact of hiking on the environment, particularly mountain areas, by reference to the broader context of selected works of global literature. Method. The paper is mainly in the form of a review of literature connected with Earth sciences, chiefly geomorphology. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of hiking, which have been divided by impact type (e.g. compaction and soil erosion, initiation of morphogenetic processes, impaired water circulation, destruction of plant biomass and changes in the plant and animal world). Findings. The Polish scientific contribution to the subject area presented should be considered significant, however, it does differ in certain characteristics from the achievements of the wider world. Considerable attention has been devoted to means of counteracting particular negative effects of tourism, both the technical (remodelling of trails and their surroundings) and organisational aspects (management of tourist traffic). Research and conclusions limitations. The position of Polish science is mostly presented, however, this is done in comparison to the broader global literature on the topic. Practical implications. The suggested means of counteracting the negative effects of hiking may be useful while planning tourist infrastructure, especially in protected areas. Originality. In the paper, a complex review is presented regarding the opinions of Polish scientists, not only on the topic of the negative impact of hiking, but also methods of its prevention. Type of paper. Literature review.

The introduction of an employee capital plan (PPK) constitutes a new challenge for various groups of stakeholders involve in the process—employers, employees and their representatives, state institutions acting as co–organizers, regulators and supervisors of the process, and financial institutions offering employee capital plan financial products. On behalf of employers, it is the HR management, accounting, and finance departments that are primarily responsible for implementing this complex management process. The purpose behind the research,* the initial and partial results of which are presented in the article, was to identify the main management problems occurring in the first phase of employee capital plan implementation in large enterprises in Greater Poland as well as to seek answers to the question of whether the surveyed entrepreneurs fully utilize the possibilities of the new retirement pension scheme in their human resource management strategy and in their motivational system.

Alternaria spp. fungi, characterized by a high tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions, are one of the threats for foods of plant origin. The increasing incidence of diseases caused by a demanding lifestyle, and a higher social awareness of the role of a diet in maintaining health and good condition, results in the dynamically growing demand for natural protective measures that would be safe for consumers. Ellagitannins, i.e. a group of bio-active polyphenols, may constitute an alternative for chemical preservatives. Studies demonstrated that the raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) ellagitannin formula limited the growth of Alternaria alternata 0409. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined (0.156 mg/ml), along with the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) (0.312 mg/ml). The fungistatic (FA) activity and the ratio of linear growth (T) were also determined for the ellagitannin formula. A strong antimycotic activity of ellagitannins was demonstrated at the formula level of 0.1 mg/ml. Unfortunately, the activity was not maintained over time and after 9 days it was only 16.0%. For the ellagitannin formula, concentrations of 0.312 mg/ml (MFC) and 0.5 mg/ml (below the MFC value), a complete arrest of growth of Alternaria alternata 0409 was observed, and it was maintained for 9 days. The antimycotic activity of the ellagitannin formula was also confirmed in food environment, with cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes used as the matrix. Results confirmed that ellagitannins from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) could be successfully used as a natural food preservative.

Among the factors influencing tourist trail network development are political issues, including the presence of state borders, the possibility of crossing them and the accessibility of border zones. In the article, it was decided to look at changes in the offer of tourist trails (hiking and cycling) along the entire border of the Czech Republic after the extension of the Schengen area (within this area, crossing the border is possible anywhere, and not only at official border crossings). It should be emphasized here that the borders of the Czech Republic over most of their length run through mountainous areas and, apart from political factors, natural features should have a major impact on the development of tourist routes. In order to determine the coherence of the current network of trails on both sides of the Czech Republic state border, modern tourist maps have been analyzed, determining the number of places where it is possible to cross the state border with the help of a marked tourist trail. Based on that, two indicators were introduced to determine the degree of openness with all neighboring countries as regards the opportunity to cross on a tourist trail. Changes in the historical situation, a comparison of the accessibility of the border area before entering the Schengen area and 2019, were analyzed for two study areas using archival maps. Over a decade after the extension of the Schengen area, the number of places where tourist trails of neighboring countries approach the border has clearly increased. Crossing is more often made possible using hiking trails than cycling routes (trails of the first type cross the border every 7.91 km, while the latter every 13.3 km), but considering the speed of movement, it can be assessed that the openness for cyclists is higher than for hikers. Moreover, in many places there is still significant potential for further integration of tourist trail networks as trails created in one country often do not have a continuation on the other side of the border.

Tourist lines serviced by historic vehicles function in several cities. One of them is Wrocław (Poland) in which the current offer based on trams was extended with buses in 2021. In the article, an assessment of Wrocław Tourist Lines has been carried out regarding the tourist product and its development, while additionally determining its stage in the product life cycle. To this end, among other elements, data on the number of passengers and ticket sales have been used. After 13 years of existence, the offer has developed traits of a mature product, displaying fairly stable journey figures. However, it did not use the significant potential of the heritage public transport fleet in Wrocław to the full. That is why, in recent years, several changes have been introduced to the structure, marketing and pricing of the tourist product, which have improved journey frequencies and, even more importantly, increased the passenger rate per service. Therefore, it can be claimed that as a result of the actions undertaken, the product has entered a rejuvenation stage, but this process is still fairly unmarked. The main disadvantage of the product is its marketing and the way the offer is communicated to potential passengers. Linie turystyczne obsługiwane zabytkowymi pojazdami funkcjonują w wielu miastach. Należy do nich także Wrocław, gdzie dotychczas możliwy był przejazd wiekowymi tramwajami, a w 2021 r. oferta została poszerzona o autobusy. W artykule przeprowadzono ocenę Wrocławskich Linii Turystycznych pod względem struktury produktu turystycznego i jego rozwoju, z określeniem etapu życia produktu. Posłużyły do tego m.in. dane o liczbie pasażerów i sprzedaży biletów. Po 13 latach funkcjonowania oferta nabrała cech produktu dojrzałego, o dość stabilnej frekwencji, która to oferta jednak nie w pełni wykorzystywała znaczny potencjał zabytkowego taboru komunikacji miejskiej we Wrocławiu. W ostatnich latach wprowadzono zatem szereg zmian w zakresie struktury, promocji i ceny produktu turystycznego, co pozwoliło na wzrost frekwencji, a przede wszystkim poprawił się wskaźnik liczby pasażerów przypadających na jeden kurs. Można więc uznać, że w wyniku podjętych działań produkt wszedł w fazę ożywienia, ale proces ten nadal jest słabo zaznaczony. Główną wadą produktu jest jego promocja i sposoby komunikacji oferty potencjalnym pasażerom.

Yellow onion waste from industrial peeling was used to obtain three pure preparations: protocatechuic acid (PA), quercetin diglycosides (QD) and quercetin monoglycosides (QM). PA contained 61% protocatechuic acid, QD contained 35% quercetin diglucosides, mainly quercetin-3,4'-diglucoside, and QM contained 41% monoglucosides, mainly quercetin-4'-glucoside. The highest antioxidant activity was shown by PA. The effects of preparations on the digestive functions of the gastrointestinal tract of rats as well as the biochemical parameters and antioxidant capacity of the blood in model research on Wistar rats sustained by a high-fat diet were assessed (5 groups per 8 animals). The results of the present experiment showed that different onion phenolic preparations differently modulated the enzymatic activity of faecal (P < 0.001) and caecal (P < 0.001) microbiota. For instance, the QD preparation but not QM efficiently reduced the faecal and caecal bacterial β-glucuronidase activity. Both protocatechuic acid and quercetin monoglycosides showed a beneficial effect by regulating blood lipids (reduction of TC (P < 0.001) and TG (P < 0.001), non-HDL increase in HDL (P < 0.001)), thereby lowering the risk factors for atherosclerotic lesions AI (P = 0.038) and AII (P = 0.013). In addition, onion phenols showed a strong antioxidant effect, however, with a different mechanism: protocatechuic acid via serum ACL (P = 0.033) increase and hepatic GSSG (P = 0.070) decrease, QM via ACW (P < 0.001) increase and hepatic TBARS (P = 0.002) decrease, and QD via serum ACW increase and hepatic GSSG decrease. It can be concluded that onion polyphenols with a lower molar weight, i.e. QM more preferably affect the blood lipid profile than QD. However QD more efficiently reduced the faecal and caecal bacterial β-glucuronidase activity.

Most of the Polish-Czech borderland is of great tourist attractiveness and has a considerable potential for tourism development. In order for a tourist region to function properly, appropriate public transport is necessary, which in the analysed case also includes cross-border transport. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the level of development of cross-border public transport in the Polish-Czech borderland from the perspective of its attractiveness and the development of tourism functions. Despite the fact that both Poland and Czechia joined Schengen the development of cross-border journeys’ range has been relatively slow (in some cases even diminishing). The coordination of services organised by the two countries is poor in terms of routes and timetables (in the latter case especially taking into account tourists’ needs). Locations where it is possible to cross the border using means of public transport are located irregularly and do not always correspond with the tourist attractiveness of a region. For the tourists who do not have a vehicle or for those who consciously refrain from using the car on holidays, the border is still a barrier.

Bilayer and multi-layer tablets are enjoying growing popularity among original drug and generic product manufacturers. Multi-layer tablets have many key benefits compared to classic immediate-release tablets. The use of such solid oral dosage forms simplifies dosing regimens in combination therapy, and thus improves patient compliance. However, the technology of multilayer tablets is demanding and requires precise choice of excipients and production parameters with regard to each technological step. The main benefits of multi-layer tablets, certain aspects of their production and the challenges encountered during the compression process are reviewed in this paper.

Currently, obtaining energy from renewable sources, as never before, it has become one of the most important areas, but at the same time challenges in human activities. This is the effect of many factors simultaneously, including because of the media trumpeted the greenhouse effect, the necessity of reducing CO2 emissions, shrinking natural resources, and thus the desire to protect their welfare including conservation (including natural resources) for future generations. The paper presents the results of preliminary numerical analyzes of work for vertical axis wind turbines equipped with air guides. The carried out analyzes indicate the potential possibility of using this type of construction in practice. The obtained power factor value is higher than in classic wind turbines with a vertical axis. The conducted analyzes also indicate the possibility of optimizing the proposed constructional solution in order to increase efficiency of obtaining energy from the wind.

BACKGROUND Hydrophilic matrices used as oral forms of sustained release drugs are a suitable application medium for short-acting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) - ketoprofen. A properly selected hydrophilic matrix in oral preparations may significantly increase efficacy and application safety of ketoprofen. OBJECTIVES The aim of the research was to analyze the usefulness of polymers (synthetic Kollidon K25 and K90, semi-synthetic hydroxyethylcellulose) and calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (as an inorganic filler) in manufacturing solid oral matrix forms of ketoprofen and to study of the effect of non-ionic surfactants (Tween 80, Rofam 70) on release kinetics. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ketoprofen, HEC, Kollidon K25, and K90, calcium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium stearate. Incorporation. Studies on the tablet mass. Direct tableting. Studies on the pharmacopoeial parameters and pharmaceutical availability. Approximation of the results. RESULTS The results of the granulometric studies on tablet mass were in accordance with pharmacopoeial standards. The results of morphological and biopharmaceutical studies of the obtained matrices (tablets) were consistent with the pharmacopoeial standards for formulations with HEC, K25 and K90. The release results most closely related to row 0 kinetics were obtained for the matrix containing HEC and K25. Tween 80 added to 0.1N HCl accelerated the release of ketoprofen, while Rofam 70 decelerated it. Tween 80 and Rofam 70 added to the pH 7.4 buffer accelerated the release of ketoprofen. CONCLUSIONS The presented model system of preformulation studies showed the usefulness of HEC and Kolidon K25 in the technology of hydrophilic matrices with ketoprofen. Surfactants added to the medium do not affect the release rate of ketoprofen.

A comparative study of a cycloidal gearbox working with a different kind of bearings is presented in the article. Two kinds of the bearings used in the cycloidal gearbox are taken into consideration: sleeves and needle bearings. The theoretical efficiency calculation for both types of the bearing was compared with experimental results. The experiment was performed on a one-stage cycloidal gearbox designed, calculated, and manufactured during the research. The test was made under different working conditions, input speeds, and the braking torques. The results show an increase in the efficiency for the needle bearings compared to sleeves. The value of the efficiency is strictly connected with the braking torque of the gearbox as well as with the velocity. The article shows a very good correlation between calculated efficiency and the efficiency determined during the tests.

The article discusses the problem of a torque ripple on the output shaft of a cycloidal gearbox. To investigate the phenomenon, numerical simulations were performed and compared with the experimental results. Simulations were performed with multibody dynamic software—one with rigid and second with flexible elements. The dynamic model of the gearbox for the determination of the amplitude of the torque change was introduced, where the model utilizes periodical change of the stiffness of gear components as well as geometrical parameters, which are the results of machining and assembly tolerances. The test was made on a gearbox that was calculated, designed, and tested by the authors of the article. To perform the test, a test bench was built. The bench included electric motors, torque meters, and a control application.

Tourist trails as a linear form of tourist infrastructure fulfill various functions (i.e. recreational, ecological, economic, social, ensuring safety). They are especially important in national parks, where in selected areas tourist penetration is allowed only along specially designed, official routes. A well-planned layout of tourist trails with appropriate facilities can help to limit the negative consequences of tourist pressure on protected natural areas. The aim of the article is a comparison of offers for active tourists in two mountain national parks (the Krkonose National Park in the Czech Republic and the Peneda-Geres National Park in Portugal), taking into consideration the marked hiking trails — the most frequently used type of tourist trails. As a result the level of area coverage by the networks of hiking trails was assessed, as well as their adequateness towards the needs of tourists. The descriptive analysis was based on author’s personal observations. In the examination of hiking trails as part of a system, some elements of the graph theory were used, especially coefficients for topologic analysis of spatial structure. This method enables simplification of a network, comparison of various areas and making some assumptions concerning tourist infrastructure, which is a crucial factor while analyzing trails from a tourists’ point of view. In both analyzed national parks the relief is quite similar, as well as their locations near national borders, what justifies the choice of the areas scrutinized in the paper. What differ them are patterns of tourism development and the current ways of undertaking active tourism. Not similarities but the two latter factors resulted in a distinct character of the two compared networks of trails and facilities connected with them. The system of hiking trails and tourist infrastructure seem better developed in the Krkonose National Park, what can be explained by historical and social conditions, especially the adopted model of hiking. In the article some disadvantages of tourist infrastructure in both protected areas were presented, as well as some suggestions in terms of its development, resulting from the analysis of networks of hiking trails.

Geotourism is usually connected with two types of landscapes: natural and cultural, however in the second case these are usually industrial or post-industrial landscapes, where the subjects of tourists’ interest are mainly various relicts of mining (e.g. open pits, waste dumps, quarries). Although it is changing, urban landscapes or – more generally – landscapes of human settlements are not so often perceived as a place of geotourism development. We try to analyze reasons why such areas have a great potential to develop this type of tourism, illustrating them by selected case studies from Poland and the Czech Republic. We want to prove that geotourism in a city or a town can be understood as part of urban tourism not only in its traditional meaning (as all kinds of tourism located in such landscapes), but also as an important element of travels undertaken in order to search and experience a genius loci of a city.