Browsing by Author "Michniewicz, Aleksandra"

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Access status: Open Access ,
Granite tors of Waldviertel (Lower Austria) as sites of geotourist interest
(2015) Michniewicz, Aleksandra; Różycka, Milena; Migoń, Piotr
Granites of the South Bohemian Pluton are among the main rocks in the region of Waldviertel in the northern part of Lower Austria. The overall topography is gently rolling, with higher elevations and medium-altitude mountainous relief present only in the south-western part. Tors are the most characteristic residual landforms and occupy different settings, from mountain tops to valley floors. They vary in shapes and dimensions, with castle koppies and boulder clusters being most common. Many tors host well-developed microforms such as weathering pits, karren, runnels, and flared slopes. Balanced rocks are among the highlights of the region. Because of good access residual granite landforms of Waldviertel are well suited to be developed as geosites and geotourist destinations, but there is clearly a deficit of explanation and interpretation. In this paper 15 representative tors are presented, tourist infrastructure is summarized, and a thematic one-day drive is proposed.