AN OVERVIEW AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF CROATIAN GEOTECHNOLOGICAL HERITAGE

Industrial heritage plays an important role in the economical, historical, and cultural identity of contemporary European society. A significant part of the industrial heritage consists of historical buildings which have remained after mining and petroleum exploitation. Moreover, industrial heritage can be also nurtured in countries in which mining and petroleum activities are not fully developed. It is inevitably associated with geological heritage. Furthermore, geological heritage is essential for a better understanding of nature, its wider appreciation and better protection. Mining has always played a significant industrial role, but it has recently lost its significance due to increasing environmental requirements regarding the European green deal and transforming the economy for a sustainable future. However, old mining and petroleum heritage sites can become attractions and they can contribute to the development of tourism and the community itself. A new term “geotechnological heritage”, presented in this paper, is related to mining, geological and petroleum heritage due to their significant interaction. This paper presents the used and unused touristic potential of heritage on selected sites in the Republic of Croatia. In addition, an analysis of the Croatian undervalued geotechnological heritage has been performed after the exploitation of stone and other nonmetallics, coal, metals, and petroleum. Unlike Croatia, the potential of geotechnological heritage has been recognized and exploited in most European countries. Therefore, Croatia has a great opportunity to develop heritage based on the experience of more successful members of the European Union.