21st Eurasian Grassland Conference
Using science to provide the information necessary for Sustainable Grassland Conservation
19-23rd July 2026
The XXI Eurasian Grassland Conference will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria. The conference will be hosted by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, (IBER) Bulgarian Academy of Science. The Mid-conference Excursion will be held in Vitosha mountain and Vitosha natural park, to the southwest of Sofia. With the proposed main topic of the Conference - “Using science to provide the information necessary for Sustainable Grassland Conservation” we aim to highlight the connection of studies on grassland ecosystems with the management practices and conservation goals.
Registration
The Conference registration will open in January 2026. Favourable participation fees are available for “an early-bird option”, students and IAVS members. For any queries, please contact edgc2026@abv.bg.
Venue
About the city venue
The city of Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria, situated in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula, with a population of 1.5 million people. Geographically, it lies in the Sofia Valley, surrounded by the Vitosha, Lyulin, Lozenska and Balkan Mountains. The city of Sofia has a long history, dating back to the 7th millennium BC, with a rich past as the Roman city of Serdica, the Bulgarian stronghold of Sredets, and an Ottoman provincial capital before becoming the capital of modern Bulgaria in 1879. Today, Sofia combines vibrant culture, rich history and contemporary urban charm. One could enjoy exploring Roman ruins at the archaeological complex of Serdica, the city’s Orthodox heritage like the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the 4th-century St. George Rotunda and the medieval St. Petka Temple, along with a variety of city parks like Borisova Garden, South Park, the City Garden in front of the National Theatre, etc.
Accommodation
There is a diverse range of hotel accommodation available within easy reach of the city centre at reasonable prices. Further details and recommendations will be published here soon.
Travel
Getting to Sofia
Sofia is easily accessible from many European cities by bus/train, or via plane, arriving at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport (SOF). Several companies offer low-cost overland connections or flights. The international bus and train stations are also well connected to the city centre by metro or bus/tram. The airport is only 10 km from the city centre, connected by the metro network and Buses 84 and 184. A night bus is also available.
Moving around Sofia
Sofia's public transport system is reliable and cheap: metro, trams, trolleys, buses.
Payment: Tap a debit/credit card at the POS terminal for a single travel ticket (€0.82).
Daily Cap: The maximum charge per day is €2.04 (day card cost), activated after the third public transport POS terminal single registration (excluding night buses). From this link, you can find more information about the Sofia public transport prices.
Navigation: Use the Movit app or Google Maps for routes.
If you prefer driving, consider using Spark, a short-term car rental service that offers flexibility without the hassle of lengthy contracts. Keep in mind that the city centre operates on a zoned parking system.
Main topic of the conference
The conference theme is: "Connecting science and conservation for grassland sustainability"
The program will feature oral and poster presentations focused on various regions and grassland systems. Sessions will cover:
- Scientific topics (details are still under discussion);
- Practical aspects of grassland management and conservation.
You are all welcome to influence the selection of topics by voting for topics you prefer from the tentative list of topics via the Preliminary Participant Information form. You will also have the possibility of suggesting additional topics via a second link at the end of the topic selection form.
Preliminary time schedule
- 19th July - Registration, Welcome party
- 20th July - Registration, Opening ceremony, Day 1 of sci-entific programme
- 21st July - Day 2 of scientific programme, City Tour
- 22nd July - Mid-conference excursion to Vitosha Natural Park
- 23rd July - Day 3 of scientific programme, Business Meeting, Grassland Party.
Key Dates
- Proposals for Special Sessions: 1 – 20 December 2025
- Earlybird registration: 10 January – 15 March 2026
- Standard registration: 16 March – 20 June 2026
- Call for abstracts: 15 February – 20 May 2026
- Travel Grant applications: 1 May 2026
- Notification of abstract acceptance: 10 June 2026
All submitted abstracts will be processed within two weeks of the submission date, and authors will be notified promptly.
Excursion
Mid-conference excursion
The Mid-conference excursion will take place in the Vitosha Nature Park and Natura 2000 SCI Vitosha (BG0000113) covering Vitosha Mt. The Vitosha Nature Park is located in the immediate vicinity of the capital city Sofia and is the oldest Nature park on the Balkan peninsula (founded in 1934, with an area of over 270 km2) and also falls within the boundaries of the NATURA 2000 network in Bulgaria.
Vitosha Mountain is characterized by a rich and diverse flora, vegetation, and natural habitats, forming five altitudinal vegetation zones, including deciduous and coniferous forests and subalpine vegetation.
The Vitosha Nature Park includes two Nature Reserves: Bistrishko Branishte and Torfeno Branishte. During the excursion, we will experience the beautiful landscape of the Torfeno Branishte Reserve, composed of diverse meadow, scrub, and mire ecosystems.
Pre-conference Field Workshop
This Field Workshop will take place from 14–18th July in the Pirin Mts., Southern Bulgaria. It will start and end in Sofia. Thus participation in both EDGG events is conveniently possible, with a one day break in between. For more details, please refer to the announcement of the Field Workshop in Palaearctic Grasslands.
Conference Sponsor
Pensoft is an independent academic publishing company, well known worldwide for its novel cutting-edge publishing tools, workflows and methods for text and data publishing. Pensoft publishes nearly 100 international journals, more than 800 book titles and conference materials. The company is involved in various research and technology projects to which it provides services in science communication, dis-semination of research results, web and graphic design, organisation of events and others.