Allotment gardening in Europe, including in Poland, is a century-long tradition that has been cultivated by each new generation. The idea derived from the rapid industrialization of large cities and is currently gaining new meaning. Apart from the economic and recreational roles played by allotment gardens (AGs), emphasis is increasingly being placed on their function as community, social, ecological and even creative and entertainment spaces. AGs constitute an important place for inhabitants of cities to spend their free time. Hence, it has been postulated more and more often that AGs should be preserved as productive and ‘living’ spaces for leisure and social integration. The numerous initiatives of the Polish Allotment Association, whose aim is to protect AGs against liquidation, and to be used for public and non-public purposes, include the Open Social Programme of Allotment Gardens Development. Through pro-social, innovative activity, the programme helps to redefine and change the perception of AGs in Poland as well as contribute to their infrastructural development.

Łódź, as a city of huge post-industrial and modern art potential, has become in recent years a unique Polish tourism destination whose urban fabric constitutes a perfect background for street art. Examples are the murals of the Urban Forms Gallery (large format artworks) which contribute to revitalisation as well as the creation of new tourism assets to form a new tourism space: art-tourism space. The paper describes both the process of creating this space as well as its distinctive features.

Services related to leisure time are treated as an important factor in the development of cities - a factor creating urban recreational spaces. It is also important to provide such spaces with appropriate elements of infrastructure, which would contribute to increasing its attractiveness. Urban recreational spaces gain more and more experimental and unique forms and are more and more defined in terms of functionality, aesthetics and identity. This article includes three examples of this type of spaces in Łódź. On the basis of conducted research, there was presented the importance of infrastructure arrangements that are thought-through and “well-anchored” in the urban tissue.

This article is a terminological discussion concerning sports tourism and those experts who stress its complexity, multifacetedness and heterogeneity. They distinguish between passive and active participation in sports disciplines and at the same time stress the huge role this form of tourism plays in stimulating regional development, mostly due to organizing mass events. This paper is based on the statements of eight experts from different research centres dealing with tourism (mainly sports tourism) accompanied by the authors’ attempt to ‘standardise’ them by referring to the subject literature.

Tatra National Park is the most frequently visited national park in Poland. During the peak season (summer), it attracts both ‘fully aware’ tourists, properly prepared for mountain hiking, and ‘casual’ hikers, motivated mainly by the shallow desire to ‘tick off’ the most popular places in the highest Polish mountains. The article describes the specific character of mountain hikers in Tatra National Park during the summer season, with particular attention paid to the motivations and skills involved in active tourism.

The study aims to gain an insight into current trends in the use of four selected allotment gardens (rodzinne ogrody działkowe – RODs) in Warsaw (Poland): ROD ‘Pratulińska’, ROD ‘Obrońców Pokoju’, ROD ‘Kolejarz’ and ROD ‘Zelmot’. The main method used in the research was a survey of plot holders (structured interviews, n = 210). The findings suggest that holders are mainly older, retired people, but the number of younger plot holders has been increasing in recent years. Most live on huge estates in close proximity to the allotment gardens. The main motivations for having a plot are relaxation, gardening as a hobby and connection with the natural environment. Food production itself was not mentioned as a prior motivation. The meaning of having a plot corresponds with motivations. Some plot holders emphasize having their own, private place (a kind of second home, refuge, respite from city life). Most of the respondents have positive opinions regarding opening allotment gardens to local communities, although they are not very eager to participate in integrational events and activities organized by the Polish Association of Allotment Gardens (PZD) or others. The findings are in line with global trends presented in research exploring allotment garden recreational space in Poland and abroad.