Protection of Visual and Architectural Heritage Based on the Implementation of he Living Museum Concept in the Cracow Stained Glass Factory

Cultural heritage gives places meaning and an atmosphere called genius loci based on tangible and intangible values. Nowadays, we can observe a commercial and consumerist approach to the spirit of place: it is used as a promotional tool and a tourism product, reduced to a cliché satisfying popular consumers tastes. The aim of this study is to identify the values which determine the identity of a place and the dangers they face, trying to answer the question: how can genius loci be protected? We analyse the problem based on the example of selected open-air museums at defensive castles in Poland’s Jurassic Belt. These museums have become a field of commercial entertainment and fallen victim to irreversible transformations.