The Vistula River as One of Poland’s Symbols and Its Perception by High School Students from Vistula Towns

This paper presents the perception of the Vistula river, the most important of Poland’s rivers, by high-school students from selected Vistula towns and cities. The study of the perception of this river, conducted in 2006-2007, concerned, among other things, the symbolism of the Vistula, its role in nature and landscape of Poland, as well as the course of the river flowing through Poland. It was ascertained that most students perceive the Vistula as a symbol of Poland or the longest river in Poland, but they do not notice, for instance, its ecological role, although they are aware of its role in the landscape of Poland. The results of the study determine the direction and the topics of the geographic education concerning the Vistula river in Polish schools.