The Importance of Geosites and Heritage Stones in Cities-a Review

International audienceGeology, as a scientific discipline, is often viewedas most applicable in high mountains or in deserts or coastalareas—or more generally in ‘natural areas’ where rock exposuresare most conspicuous—and, therefore, not to be experiencedby most visitors and tourists. In contrast, most geoscientistsare convinced that geology can be practised on aneveryday basis, as it is part of our daily life as a facet of thenatural environment that humans have used for 100 s of thousandsof years. Even in places where the natural world seemsfar from its original condition, one can still experience geology.This consideration is of increasing importance, as today,more than half the world’s population lives in towns and cities.In this context, we can still present geology to an interestedpublic through establishing leisure walks, either guiding orusing leaflets, easily carried booklets and even web ‘apps’.The style chosen aims to be accessible to a broader public,but crucially, in an urban context, there should always be anaim to demonstrate the relationship between geology and society,as well as architecture and history. Indeed, the realisation of many participants in such activities that buildingstones can belong to, and provide evidence of, both a naturaland a built heritage can be a revelation