Inventory and Evaluation of Geosites: Case Studies of the Slovak Karst as a Potential Geopark in Slovakia

A study evaluating geosites within the potential Geopark Slovak Karst, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, identifies three caves—Jasovská Cave, Domica Cave, and Baradla Cave—as top attractions with the highest scores (22.5 to 23.5 points) for both main and additional values. Gombasecká Cave also scores highly but with medium additional values. Other geosites score between 9 and 16 points. The research suggests that networking lesser-known geosites through educational trails could extend visitor stays in the region, benefiting tourism. The study's methodology, a modified Geosite Assessment Model (GAM), proved effective for evaluating geosites across the potential Geopark.

Kudla, M., Javorská, M., Vašková, J., Čech, V., & Tometzová, D. (2024). Inventory and Evaluation of Geosites: Case Studies of the Slovak Karst as a Potential Geopark in Slovakia. Sustainability, 16(17), 7783. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177783