GEOPARKS AND MODERN SOCIETY: protection, promotion and sustainable use of Earth heritage in park environment dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO GEOPARK Initiative announced in 1998 at the ProGEO Meeting in ,

Organised by:

ASPIRING GLOBAL GEOPARK „“

In cooperation with: Municipality of Belogradchik Ministry of Energy Ministry of Environment and Water Bulgarian National Commission for UNESCO University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”,

BELOGRADCHIK – BULGARIA 12–13 October 2018 Dear Colleagues, In a year with so many geoconservation activities we are pleased to invite you to the International Scientific Conference „Geoparks and Modern Society“, which will be held on 12- 13 October 2018 аt Belogradchik town, Bulgaria, including pre-conference (11 October) and post-conference (14 October) field trips. The meeting will be hosted by Aspiring Global Geopark “Belogradchik Rocks” and Municipality of Belogradchik. The aim of the Conference is to provide opportunity for geoscientists, public authorities and other stakeholders to share their experience and best practices in establishing, developing and managing geoparks, and to discuss increased Earth heritage significance for the economy of the underdeveloped regions. Papers representing experience in establishing aspiring geoparks and criteria for geodiversity identification in geopark environment will be of special interest. We hope that the event will contribute to increasing the importance of geoparks as special sites of geodiversity protection, scientific researches, education, natural and cultural tourism with the potential to develop sustainable geotourism.

We are looking forward to welcome you in Belogradchik, Bulgaria

Organising Committee

Conference Committees

Scientific Committee

1. Ivan Zagorchev Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Bulgaria 2. Ezzoura Errami Chouaib Doukkali University Morocco 3. Alexandru Andrassanu Bucharest University Romania 4. Fabien Hoblea University Savoie Mont Blanc France 5. Dragan Milovanovich Belgrade University 6. Nataliya Kalutskova Moscow State University Russia 7. Afat Seriani ProGEO Albania Albania 8. Radoslav Nakov Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Bulgaria 9. Dimitar Sinnyovsky University of Mining and Geology Bulgaria

Organising Committee

1. Boris Nikolov Mayor of Belogradchik Municipality 2. Lozan Lozanov Mayor of Municipality 3. Ivan Kamenov Mayor of Makresh Municipality 4. Nikolay Dimitrov Association for Development of North-West (ADNW) 5. Dimitar Sinnyovsky Director of Geopark “Belogradchik Rocks” 6. Ivan Dimitrov Geologist of Geopark “Belogradchik Rocks” 7. Venislava Rangelovska Ministry of Energy, Sofia 8. Lubomir Vesselinov Municipality of Belogradchik 9. Ivaylo Krumov Historical Museum, Belogradchik

Conference Themes

I. Geodiversity identification, assessment and protection in geopark environment. II. Geopark agenda – link between geological heritage and all aspect of natural and cultural heritage: interpretation, education and networking. III. Experience in establishing aspiring geoparks – establishment of management body, management plan, geopark infrastructure, etc. IV. Integrated geopark management – management structure, community involvement, partnership agreement and financial support. V. Geoparks towards sustainable tourism development – new approaches and trends. VI. Relation between geoparks and other categories of protected areas - National parks, Biosphere reserves, Natura 2000, etc. VII. Establishing National Geopark Committees according to the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) of UNESCO. VIII. Moveable geoheritage – municipal, university and national museums.

IX. Landscape analyses and assessment, dynamic and change. NEW THEMES X. GIS application in geodiversity and geoheritage assessment, and in geopark management. XI. Geoarchaeology

Important Dates

 Registration and abstract submission start: 20.02.2018  Abstracts submission deadline: 15.05.2018  Notification of results of abstract reviews: 30.05.2018  Deadline for early registration fee payment: 30.06.2018  Deadline for standard registration fee payment: 30.09.2018  The opening of the Conference: 12.10.2018

Preliminary Conference schedule

The programme comprises plenary presentations, oral presentations sessions and poster sessions. Presenters in oral sessions will have 15 minutes to present their researches. 11th October

Pre-conference field trip: Belogradchik - – (on the ) – Belogradchik Departure: 9:00 Arrival: 16:00 Welcoming and accommodating the participants 16:00 Arrival and registration - Municipality Conference Hall 17:00 Visit the Belogradchik fortress and Geopark building. Belogradchik Fortress and Roman stronghold “Kaleto” are the most visited places in the Geopark attracting annually tens of thousands of visitors. The antique Roman stronghold is built in II century AD with red sandstones. The walls of the medieval fortress are built of hewn stones of sandstones. 18:30 Welcome cocktail

12th October Conference sessions 08:30 - 09:00 Registration 09:00 - 09:30 Official opening 09:30 - 13:00 Plenary session; oral and poster sessions 13:00 - 14:30 Lunch break 14:30 - 17:00 Oral and poster sessions 20:00 Conference dinner

13th October Conference sessions 09:30 - 13:00 Oral and poster sessions 13:00 - 14:30 Lunch break 14:30 - 16:00 Oral and poster sessions 16:00 - 16:30 Conclusion

14th October

Post-conference field trip: Belogradchik - (K/T boundary) - Kozarnika Cave (Milankovich climatic cyclicity) - Venetsa Cave - Romantic Valley – Borovitsa - Belogradchik

Participation Fee

REGISTRATION TYPE EARLY STANDARD until 30.06.2018 from 01.07.2018 Regular €100 €130 Students €70 €100 Pre-conference field trip € 30 € 40 Post-conference field trip € 30 € 40

Participation fee includes: participation at the Conference, Abstract book, conference and promo materials, welcome cocktail, visit Belogradchik fortress, coffee breaks, and conference dinner. Field trip fee includes: transport, entrance fees and lunch

Fees to be transfered on the following bank account of the Association for Development of North West: International Asset Bank BIC: IABGBGSF IBAN: BG61 IABG 7496 1000 7246 00 Beneficiary name (Bank account holder): Association for Development of North West

Please be aware that all bank transaction fees should be at the participant's expenses.

Please, indicate the Conference participation and/or Field trip on the payment document. After the payment, please send a copy of your bank transfer document to: [email protected]

Abstracts and Papers submission

Please download the Abstract template from: http://belogradchik.bg/?page_id=16099 and follow the requirements.

After consideration by Scientific Committee authors will be invited to submit their researches for reviewing and publishing in the relevant thematic journals, referred in international database such as Scopus, Web of Science, Crossref, EBSCOhost: GeoRef

Pre-conference field trip

11th October Belogradchik - Magura Cave – Vidin (on the Danube) – Belogradchik Departure: 9:00 Arrival: 16:00

Magura Cave is a geosite of aesthetic, historical and cultural value of national importance, included in the Indicative List of UNESCO. It is one of the largest caves in Bulgaria formed in Upper Jurassic – Lower limestones with a total length of galleries more than 2500 m. There are 10 halls, the largest of which is of colossal dimensions - 200 m length, 50 m width and 20 m height. Magura has an exceptional archaeological value with its wall paintings of bat guano, dating back to the late Paleolithic to the early Bronze Age. You can taste naturally sparkling wine aging inside the cave.

Vidin is the administrative centre of the district situated on the right bank of the Danube. It is a medieval Bulgarian capital with a long history. Medieval fortress „” and historical museum will be visited.

The lunch is envisaged to be at a restaurant near the Danube.

Post-conference field trip

14th October Belogradchik - Kladorub (K/T boundary) - Kozarnika Cave (Milankovich climatic cycles) - Venetsa Cave - Romantic Valley – Borovitsa - Belogradchik Departure: 9:00 Arrival: 16:00 The trip requires off-road walking. The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary is marked by an iridium layer formed after the collision of Earth with the Chicxulub asteroid 65 million years ago, widely recognized as “the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs”.

Kozarnika Cave is an archaeological On the walls near the entrance of the cave phenomenon in the process of investigation, with Milankovich climatic cyclicity can be identified. evidence for earliest human settlements in Venetsa Cave is formed in Upper Jurassic Europe. It is formed in Jurassic limestones. limestones. It is open for visitors in 2015 after Archaeologists believe that it was a manufactory implementation of the Project in the frame of the for ornaments of fossils. Bulgaria-Serbia Cross-Border Programme.

Romantic valley near Belogradchik includes most of the famous rock monuments known as “Belogradchik Rocks”. This spectacular rock assemblage, formed in Lower Triassic red continental sandstones and conglomerates (Buntsandstein), represents a remarkable combination of imposing rock monuments and a beautiful mountain landscape.

Borovitsa Stone or "Pine Stone" is the highest individual rock among the Belogradchik Rocks. It meets the term "butte", which is to designate the high single rock monuments with vertical slopes, similar to those in the Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona.

Conference venue

The conference will be held at Belogradchik town, Bulgaria. It is a beautiful place situated in NW Bulgaria. The town is 200 km North-West from Sofia and 50 km South from Vidin. The area has remarkable geological heritage The concept of Geopark Belogradchik Rocks is based on the famous natural monument “Belogradchik rocks”, and remarkable geodiversity including sedimentary, igneous, volcanic and metamorphic rocks from Precambrian to Recent.

googlemaps.com

The Conference registration will be opened at the Municipality Conference Hall on 11th October 2018, 16:00 h. Address: Vassil Levski Str., 1

How to get there?

 From Sofia: - by bus to Belogradchik - by train to Oreshets (you have to take the train Sofia – Vidin and get off at Oreshets, 10 km from Belogradchik). There will be organized transport to Belogradchik.

 From Vidin: - by bus to Belogradchik - by train to Oreshets (you have to take the train Vidin-Sofia and get off at Oreshets, 10 km from Belogradchik). There will be organized transport to Belogradchik.

 By car - through cross-border checkpoints: - – Negotin and Vrashka chuka – Zajechar on the border Bulgaria – Serbia - Vidin – Calafat on the border Bulgaria - Romania

For bus and railway information:  Sofia central bus station: http://www.centralnaavtogara.bg/index.php#b

 Bulgarian Railway Company http://www.bdz.bg/en/

Accommodation

Hotel Skalite**** http://www.skalite.bg/en.html

The hotel is situated in the center of the town. It has a classical restaurant with banquet hall, night club, winter and summer garden, and a panoramic bar with spectacular views of the unique Belogradchik rocks.

Contact info: 2 Vazrazhdane square, Belogradchik phone: +359 94 691 210 mobile: 0884 51 41 54 fax: +359 936 545 42 e-mail: [email protected]

Hotel Dalia** Hotel The Rocks * A small family hotel, located in the town A family hotel with a restaurant. It has a center. It is very close to the bus station and very good location in the center of the town in a walking distance of 10 minutes to the and in 10 minutes walking to the conference conference venue. venue.

Contact info: Contact info: 1, Saedinenie Str., Belogradchik, 1, Hadzhi Dimitar str., Belogradchik; phone: +359 888641528; phone: +359 936 54002; +359 898733818 email: hotel_dalia@аbv.bg

Besides the above hotels there are many guest houses where you could feel comfortable. When you organize your travel, have in mind that Belogradchik is a small town which is also well known touristic destination in Bulgaria and not only, and the hotels are booked in all seasons. Please book a hotel as early as it is possible. When you make a booking indicate that you are a participant at “Geopark and Modern Society” Conference. If you need a help in booking please, contact the Conference Organisers at: [email protected]

For contact: [email protected]