Journal of the Geographical Institute "Jovan Cvijic", SASA 2018 Volume 68, Issue 2, Pages: 289-296
https://doi.org/10.2298/IJGI1802289R
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Aesthetic properties of geological heritage landscapes: Evidence from the Lagonaki Highland (Western Caucasus, Russia)
Ruban Dmitry A. (Cherepovets State University, Business School, Department of Economics and Management, Cherepovets, Russia)
Beauty adds value to unique geological features because the former is
important for tourist emotional satisfaction. Aesthetic properties of
geological heritage landscapes (landscapes dominated by unique geological
phenomena) should be distinguished from their aesthetic attractiveness. Field
studies permit ranging all basic aesthetic properties according to their
local importance. The same information allows realizing appearance of the
properties, which can be either positive or negative. The aesthetic
properties of a world-class geosite representing ancient carbonate platform
and diverse karst features, namely the Lagonaki Highland (western part of the
Greater Caucasus Mountains) are examined. It is established that the Lagonaki
Highland has physical parameters that determine a specific set of aesthetic
properties. Three most important aesthetic properties of the studied object
are openness, pattern, and uniqueness. These properties match the expected
tourists’ idea of beauty, and, thus, the geological heritage landscape of the
Lagonaki Highland is characterized by significant aesthetic attractiveness,
which is important for tourism development.
Keywords: natural beauty, geological heritage, geotourism, landscape perception, Caucasus