Mine Bankov and mining tourism - Acta Geoturistica - TUKE

Acta Geoturistica volume 3 (2012), number 2, 48-54Mine Bankov and mining tourismLADISLAV HVIZDÁK 1 , JANA HVIZDÁKOVÁ 1 , MÁRIO MOLOKÁČ 1and LUCIA MOLOKÁČOVÁ 21 Institute of Geotourism, Technical University of Košice,Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia(e-mail: ladislav.hvizdak@tuke.sk, mario.molokac@tuke.sk)2 Zdravo-M, Wuppertálska 3, 040 23 Košice, SlovakiaABSTRACTThis paper is devoted to the possibilities of using mine Bankov for the miningtourism. The aim of the work is to show the possibility of effective use of Bankovpotential for the tourism and recreation.Keywords: mining tourism, BankovINTRODUCTIONSuburban tourism is a subsystem ofrecreational tourism. It means recreationthat is organized in an appropriaterecreation space near urban, industrial andresidential sites. Central European region,in recent decades, is characterized by thedecline of mining industry. After themines extracting was the mine area intactfor a long time, which caused their gradualdevastation. The question is what to do withsuch mine? It was found out that thosemines are dangerous for the people -movement in that area may cause a dangerof injury. Also they are dangerous for theenvironment because of polluting. Manymines (mainly ore) containing hazardoussubstances that directly affect the quality ofwater, soil and air. The solution is toreclaim them, to remove all the parts that donot belong to nature, to create preventpitfalls, to remove piles and to plant newvegetation. This solution has twodrawbacks. The first is the financial cost.The lack of finance causes delay ofregeneration and thus increases thepossibility of the environmentcontamination, and also chances foraccidents for the people who visit this area.The second problem is that the disposal ofmining complex is permanently lost part ofthe history, which has been linked to oursociety. It means the loss of thetechnological processes and miningequipment, which has currently aconsiderable historical value, and in a fewdecades we will miss these devices reallymuch. The solution is not necessarilyreclamation, but mining tourism.Advantages of mining tourism:- Proposes financial modesty,- Maintains the mining areas and facilitiesfor the future generations,- Presents not only technical equipment,but also a way of life, social customs andlifestyles associated with miningactivity,- Creates long-term economic activity,- Creates the possibility of improvingeducation in engineering sciences on theground,- Attracts visitors who will benefit from afinancial point of view,- Promotes the region over a wider area.MINING TOURISMMining tourism can be defined as acomponent of industrial tourism orgeotourism which presents legacy of48

Acta Geoturistica volume 3 (2012), number 2, 48-35mining, mining activities and the societywhich is closely linked to mining.Mining tourism is interested in mining andprocessing procedures. This includessegments, which may be ground or surface,surface landfills, dumps, railway systemsand surface equipment. Devices can beconnected with mine directly or by miningactivities, such as pumping, and disposal ofmineral processing, or management andemployee housing. Remaining relics rangefrom small items such as tips, etc. in largeboilers and engines. "Mining sites containthe physical evidence of mining andprocessing activity. This includes mineworks which may be underground or opencut, surface dumps, slag heaps, railwaysystems and surface structures. Structuresmay be associated with obvious dry miningactivities and pumping, winding andmineral processing, or for administrationand housing of employees. Remainingrelics range from small items dry and picksetc. the large boilers and engines [7].It is a form of cognitive tourism whichmeans that the main objective is tounderstand - to have an interestingexperience - that I will bring somethingnew to the tourist´s interest.Another important fact is that the targetpopulation of this type of tourism is mainlybetween 18 -25 years, frequently travellingonly with a partner. It is indeed important toput main emphasis on learning about newcultures, cultural sites, escape from thestereotype and leave the daily routine -local customs and cuisine and offerpossibilities of quality accommodation andservices [9].The cognitive tourism success thusbecomes inextricably linked with the siteuniqueness and unrepeatable distortingstereotype in the past so prioritizeduniformity. Finally, our interest is also tofocus on environmental protection andnature, including unique geologicalattractions.In addition, there is also the opportunityfor a wide variety of educationalexperiences for schools, institutions, privatesector and professional community.The subjects of mining tourism are:- the old mines with significant historicalvalue presenting old mining practices.Such mines are mainly from the MiddleAges and early modern times. Presentmainly historical interest, many of thoseare registered for their importance to theWorld List of Cultural and NaturalHeritage,- the new mines that are interesting to thepublic for their technical equipment andmodern mining practices.Disclosure of the mines for the public hasto fulfill several criteria:1. Mines have to be sufficiently attractive tothe tourists - should contain interestingtechnical equipment, mining methods, etc.2. Interesting geological structures - onlymining work can be interesting in terms ofgeology, if present geological phenomenathat can not be seen in the wild, such as thestorage layer, vein minerals, tectonic lines,breaks, etc.3. Mines must have a status of "touristmine", which was approved by the districtmining offices of the Slovak Republic.These offices allow disclosure of miningprojects for museum purposes and work onkeeping them in a safe condition [3]. Itmeans of mining law have to dodocumentation of all activities (operatingplan), which has to be authorized by miningauthority [13]. The concept of a touristmine can be defined as: Any miningoperation that does not intend to produceand sell a product that affects shop. Themain aim is to make mine inspections.4. Security - is the most important criterionfor mining tourism, especially in the case ofunderground mines.Safety criteria should be developed inseveral ways:- it is necessary to define competentperson to conduct daily inspection ofmines and transport equipment that mayadversely affect the safety and health ofpeople- exhibitions have to be carried out by49

Acta Geoturistica volume 3 (2012), number 2, 48-54Fig. 3 Exterior of Bankov mines - mining towers, Source: Jaroslav Ružinskýphase of construction of the photovoltaicBankov mine complex with the power ofthe 7 MW by ARQE Company Ltd. fullycompleted and fully operational transferredto investors use in June 2011. Continuationof the construction and expansion ofphotovoltaic installations in Mine Bankov -Košice is currently under negotiation [1].In 2011, the underground and on thesurface of the mine only performed securitywork (especially inspection and control ofmining works, buildings and equipment inunderground and surface surveillance andcontrol of caving zone, water pumping,testing and revision of the functionaldevices, control measurements miningpollution, maintenance, repair andrestoration facilities, functional operation ofthe landfill and other security work plancertified by a particular measure stress -strain states in the rock mass and measuringwater tributaries [11].Within the revitalization of the area couldbe a large part of the area Bankov mine usefor recreational, educational and otherpurposes. The transformation of the formermine Bankov Kosice panoramic place witha long unused industrial building can createa lack of facilities for organizing majorcultural events in the open air [10].THE BANKOV HISTORY -BACKGROUND FOR MININGTOURISMBankov is a very important holiday resortlocated about 3 km from the city of Košicealmost for three centuries. It is a part ofKošice and belongs to the city districtcalled Sever. Bankov area got its nameaccording to the Bankov spring. An OldSpiš road led through Bankov. Nowadays itis leading through the Čermeľ valley.Thanks to iron sulfuric water fountain therewas founded the spa in 1703. The effectsof spring slowly weakened which resultedin the disappearance of these spas. In 1765a chapel of the Holy Cross was built there.Ancient Chapel of the Holy Cross is now apart of the hotel Bankov, which forms thebasis for the original construction of thebuilding. Popularity of this place among theresidents of Košice was so great thatBankov developed in a tourist and sportscenter in the 19th century. Before WorldWar I there was also a toboggan run. Manyof the older buildings unfortunately nolonger exist (Čermeľ mills, paper mill,koliba-wooden style restaurant). Nowadaysthere is available a luxorious hotel Bankovwith a restaurant, pension Zlatý Jeleň,52

Acta Geoturistica volume 3 (2012), number 2, 48-54economic point of view. A new attraction inthe Košice city would do more appealing tovisitors who come here because of theEuropean Capital city of Culture 2013. Thereopening of the Bankov mines for thepurpose of mining tourism contributes tothe development of the whole region ofKošice.REFERENCES[1] http://arqe.eu/realizace-vystavby/[2] http://www.banskyskanzen.sk/index.php?page=skanzen[3] http://www.hbu.sk/sk/Identifikaciaorganizacie/O-cinnosti/Obvodne-banskeurady.alej[4] http://www.kosice2013.sk/sk/zone-13-obrazom[5] http://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/4406986/bana-bankov-tazba-alebo-kulturny-stanok.html#ixzz2I5waxEZl[6] http://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/5302363/dokosic-ide-60-milionov-eur-na-hlavne-mestokultury.html#ixzz2IHbcSxse[7] http://www.mininghistory.asn.au/miningheritage[8] http://mining.state.co.us/TouristMinesInspection.htm[9] Molokáčová, L.: Advertising in geotourism,PhD thesis, Košice 2011[10] Plán prípravy otvárky a dobývania na baniBankov na roky 2011 – 2021[11] Správa o činnosti obvodného banského úraduza rok 2011[12] www.keturist.sk/kosice/strediska/bankov.php[13] Drebenstedt, C., Rybár, P., Domaracká, L.:Montain tourism in Germany shown onexample in Saxony. In: Acta Geoturistica.volume 2 (2011), number 2, pp 60-63, ISSN1338-229254