Summary:

Tourist maps play very important role in mountaineering. They enable the tourist to orientate in surrounding space, giving the information not only con-cerning location, but also existing tourist infrastructure. Until recently tourist maps existed only in paper form, however nowadays with the use of digital car-tography interactive tourist maps become more and more popular. The paper presents the methodology of creation of an interactive map for the part of Silesian Beskid. The map contains information about mountain lodges, peaks, mountain trails, and additional attractions. An additional element of the map is the Digital Terrain Model and animation enabling virtual flight over selected part of the trail. The map has been created on the basis of ground survey, background maps downloaded from Geoportal, instructions and technical directives in force, and also literature connected with GPS and land surveying. The first part of the paper has a theoretical character. It describes the methodology of performed survey, and characteristic of used instruments, software and maps. The second part describes the stages of the project creation using Quantum GIS software, starting from creation of interactive map, ending on animation, and also the principle of operation of the map. Interactive map of mountain trails of Silesian Beskid has been created in order to enable a tourist detailed planning of the route of the excursion in Silesian Beskid, and to get acquainted with the topography of the region. Whereas a person unable to make a real trip in Silesian Beskid, could make a virtual excursion.