When Poland became a member of the European Union, the country committed to achieve a good ecological status of surface waters and care for the quality of the landscape. Carpathian river valleys are distinctive natural and socio-economic systems that should be correctly used to preserve their values. To take appropriate protective actions, it is necessary to identify already existing hydromorphological and landscape elements in the area. Valorisation of these elements was carried out using an author’s method. This method was established by merger and modification of two existing procedures, assessment of the hydromorphological quality of rivers and ECOVAST method to evaluate the landscape. The object of the study was the Poprad River valley in the Polish Carpathian Mountains, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Based on the fieldwork and appraisal studies, it was found that this valley is characterized by landscape of regional importance, with a very large, but not fully exploited tourist potential.

The aim of the presented method is to identify valuable areas of the river valleys and indicate the directions of theirs socio-economic development without exposure to the devastation of the natural ecosystem.