1. Location
Symposium will be held in the ‘Speleon’ Centre of Subterranean Heritage, Nova Kršlja 47, 47245 Rakovica, Croatia.
Car parking is available in front of the Speleon.
A) Welcome!
We are pleased to invite you to the 4th Dinaric Symposium on Subterranean Biology, which will take place at the ‘Speleon’ Centre of Subterranean Heritage in Nova Kršlja,, Croatia from 11th to 12th October, 2025.
The first congress was held in 2016 in Zagreb, and we are pleased to see this story continue. After the congress in Zagreb, we went to Postojna (Slovenia), the place where biospeleology began. Then we went on to Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), a hotspot for subterranean fauna within the Dinaric region. Now we return to Croatia, to an area rich in natural values, including fascinating caves and beautiful karst rivers with travertine barriers.
The 4th Dinaric Symposium on Subterranean Biology is organized by the Croatian Biospeleological Society (CBSS) and the Public Institution Barać Caves – Protected Areas Management In the Municipality of Rakovica.
List of Previous Symposia:
- 1st Dinaric Symposium on Subterranean Biology, Zagreb, Croatia, 23rd - 24th September 2016
- 2nd Dinaric Symposium on Subterranean Biology, 18th - 19th of October 2019, Postojna, Slovenia
- 3rd Dinaric Symposium on Subterranean Biology, Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 9th - 10th April 2022
B) Conference Info
2. Accommodations
For accommodation please check out Tourist Board Plitvice Valleys:
3. Registration
Please fill out the registration form (link will be provided here) and send it, together with payment confirmation and the Abstract form, to: 4th.dinaric.symposium@gmail.com by the deadlines specified below.
Download Forms:
- Registration Form: Download (.docx) | Download (.pdf)
- Abstract Form: Download (.docx) | Download (.pdf)
REGISTRATION FEE until 1st September 2025:
- Regular: 50 EURO
- Student: 30 EURO
REGISTRATION FEE from 1st September to 1st October 2025:
- Regular: 60 EURO
- Student: 40 EURO
4. Presentations
Abstract submission deadline: 8st September 2025
Presentation acceptance deadline: 22nd September 2025
Before sending your Abstracts please fill out the Registration form. Abstracts without a completed registration form will not be considered.
Posters or oral presentations without submitted abstracts will not be included in the Symposium programme.
Please send your abstracts in *.doc or *.docx file to the following e-mail address: 4th.dinaric.symposium@gmail.com
Official language: English
Presentations: 15 min. + 5 min. discussion
Posters: The maximum size for posters is B1 (70 cm wide and 100 cm high)
Abstracts should be written in English and contain a maximum of 400 words excluding title and authors. Type of presentation, contact of the presenting author, title, authors' names, and institutions should be included.
C) Excursions
As part of the symposium, on Sunday, a visit to Speleon and the touristic Barać Cave will be organized.
Additional Suggestions:
- There are also circular walking trails in the area of the Protected Landscape of Barać Caves: barac-caves.com/walking-trails/
- Nearby is one of the most famous and most visited Croatian national parks, Plitvice Lakes: np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/
- For other activities and offers, you can find information at:
D) Plan Your Trip
How to Get to Rakovica
From Zagreb:
Take highway A1 (direction Karlovac – Split). Exit at Karlovac, then continue on D1 road towards Plitvice Lakes. Rakovica is approx. 95 km from Zagreb (~1.5 hours by car).
From Zadar:
Take highway A1 (direction Zagreb). Exit at Gornja Ploča, then follow signs to Plitvice Lakes / Rakovica. Total distance approx. 160 km (~2 h 15 min by car).
From Split:
Take highway A1 (direction Zagreb). Exit at Gornja Ploča, then follow local roads to Plitvice Lakes / Rakovica. Approx. 250 km (~3 to 3.5 hours by car).
From Rijeka:
Recommended route: A6 (direction Zagreb), exit at Karlovac, then road D1 to Rakovica.
Alternative: via Senj – Otočac – Plitvice Lakes.
Additional Information:
- Direct bus lines are available from Zagreb and other major cities to Rakovica or nearby Plitvice Lakes.
- Car rental options are available at all major airports and city centers (Zagreb, Zadar, Split).
E) Committees
Organizing Committee:
- Jana Bedek
- Hrvoje Cvitanović
- Slaven Vuković
- Vida Zrnčić
- Iva Čupić
- Mateja Jagić
- Nikolina Kuharić
- Ema Buljan
- Ana Komerički
Scientific Committee:
- Tvrtko Dražina
- Teo Delić
- Dragan Antić
- Martina Pavlek
- Vida Zrnčić
- Dora Hlebec
- David Culver
IT support:
- Zvonimir Dražina
F) Contact Us
For all information please write to us at: 4th.dinaric.symposium@gmail.com