Cultural routes as a medium for changes in regions

In the proposed paper, I would like to look at cultural routes through the prism of network structures that can have great impact on the regions in which they were delineated. Cultural routes are not only tourism products, but structures which affect and are affected by local communities. According to that belief, the basic reference groups for the functioning of cultural routes are those which are in their immediate environment, i.e. the members of local community, and not operators which appear in the area only occasionally, sometimes only once, such as tourists. It is believed that a cultural route constructed wider than a tourist attraction has to generate a diverse cultural offer, thus it becomes an important medium for changes in culture (it has impact on building the cultural competences of local residents, formulating their identity, meeting needs and aspirations). An important dimension of cultural routes is also their direct impact on the tangible and intangible heritage of the regions; cultural routes become significant elements of protection, popularization and heritage management. The proposed text presents the results of studies on the impact of cultural routes on the cultural and social changes in regions that are currently being carried out on selected cultural routes in Poland. In the research, special attention has been paid to the recognition of the role and significance of cultural routes in the following areas: a) cultural, b) social, c) civic. The discussion is summarized with reflection on how to manage cultural routes as a medium for changes in a social space, conceived from a multidimensional perspective.