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within the karst landscapes of central and Eastern
Europe, nor of universal significance. Furthermore, as
the nomination notes, ‘in western and northern Europe
there is no shortage of similar areas and sites’. Slovakia,
Greece, southern France and Spain, all have limestone
landscapes some of which it could be argued are
grander and culturally more significant than Pradnik.
The valley is reasonably pretty as it cuts through
modestly high limestone cliffs but it is in no way
extraordinary, merely replicating hundreds of such
valleys in the limestone countrysides of southern
Europe. The built environment and the farmed
landscape seem in no way extraordinary. If there is
any universal value on the cultural side, then it has to
lie in invisible qualities such as events, history, cults
and stories about the place.
Outstanding universal value
General statement:
This nomination is of a scenically attractive valley
and its immediate surrounds. It is cut through
limestone uplands, an area of rich resources, which
have been humanly used periodically over the last
100,000 years or so, and persistently since the 11 th
century.
Its strategic position to the north of Cracow led to the
development of fortified castles; its scenic qualities
attracted tourists form the 18 th century and led to
landscape developments reflecting first of all
Romantic and Picturesque ideas and ideals and later
utopian ideas. Activities to protect the valley in the
late 19 th century launched the conservation movement
in Poland and had an impact across the country.
All this adds up to the Pradnik valley being of
undoubted national importance, but its attributes
cannot be said to rise to being of outstanding
universal value.
Evaluation of criteria:
The nomination concentrates on one criterion: ‘Basic
criterion iv representative of its type’. It also
discusses ‘additional’ criteria ii and vi.
Criterion ii: Although the case is not made under
‘criteria’ in the nomination, there is a degree of
‘interchange’ in that influences from the east, Italy and
western Europe can be seen in various works in the
valley created since medieval times; but though
interesting, their interest does not seem to extend
beyond the local, and it is difficult to identify the
reciprocal influences which a true ‘interchange’
requires (except in the export of flint in prehistoric
times). ‘Landscape design’ would be the only relevant
field of those listed in the criterion, and again the valley
has been receiver of ideas rather than externally
influential on developments in this field as the sense of
the criterion requires.
Criterion iv: The nomination gives no reasons for
using (iv), either with regard to the valley being
‘outstanding’ (rather does it stress its
representativity), or in illustrating ‘significant stages
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in human history’. Strengths in buildings, architectural
and technological ensembles and landscape itself could
perhaps have been expounded, though there remain the
difficulties of demonstrating persuasively that these
local strengths are, individually and/or collectively,
‘outstanding’ and also demonstrate a ‘significant stage
(or stages) … in human history.
Criterion vi: The nomination addresses ideas about
conservation, tourism and intellectual activity in
Poland, but advances no strong case that they are of
outstanding universal, rather than only national,
significance.
Other criteria: There are aspects of the valley that
might fit criterion iii. It could be argued that it bears ‘an
exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition which is
living’, but much more would need to be made of its
representativity of a regional way of life, and of its
vernacular material culture, rather than its material
exotica. The nomination touches on this by remarking
that the landscape reflects the development of local
communities and preserves representative examples of
the use of land; but much more evidence would be
needed to make the point a substantial one. And this
aspect does not seem to be a particularly strong element
in its character.
Similarly, emphases on elements which are not its main
strengths would have to be made for it to become, under
criterion v, ‘an outstanding example of a traditional
land use representative of a culture’. In fact, its
vernacular dimension is not what, in essence, this valley
is about, and in any case much traditional practice has
declined.
4. ICOMOS RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation for the future
The whole Pradnik Valley is a pleasant ensemble of
undoubted national significance, clearly a place of
pride and worthy of the best of conservation. The
cultural components, either singly or collectively, do
not, however, proclaim World Heritage quality; and
the key matter of the interrelation here between
natural and cultural, while interesting and
scientifically important, is not unusual in limestone
uplands and may well be better represented elsewhere.
It can be recognised that this property maybe
significant in its east European context, but it is not of
outstanding universal value.
The State Party should be thanked for the nomination
of this property and encouraged to continue to look
after it so admirably within the Ojkowski National
Park.
Recommendation with respect to inscription
That the property should not be inscribed on the
World Heritage List.
ICOMOS, March 2003