Venue

Cluj-Napoca

Cluj-Napoca [klo͝ozh′nä-pô′kä] is recognised as the capital city of Transylvania (the central region of Romania, inside the Carpathian arch). Its origin dates back to the 2^nd century A.D., to the Dacian settlement of Napuca and subsequent Roman ’municipium’ of Napoca established in 124 A.D., and finally ’colonia’ under the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Known as Klausenburg to Germans and Kolozsvár to Hungarians, the name Cluj comes from Castrum Clus, first used in the 12^th century as the name of the citadel surrounding the city. Clus means ‘closed’ in Latin and refers to the hills surrounding the city. Cluj became Cluj-Napoca in the 1970s, when the communist regime added the name of the old Roman settlement to emphasise its Daco-Roman origin (for the source of information and the more detailed story, please check here). In modern days, Cluj-Napoca is a vibrant cultural, educational and financial centre in South-Eastern Europe, harbouring the largest University in Romania (Babeș-Bolyai University) and a dynamic IT industry. The city was awarded in 2015 the title of European Youth Capital. The architecture, with its numerous landmarks, such as the St. Michael’s Church and the Union’s Square, bears influences of Gothic and Baroque often encountered also in other major Central-European cities. As also notable, Transylvania has been chosen as the Best Travel Destination by Lonely Planet in 2016!

For more information on what to visit in and around Cluj-Napoca, we recommend the following links:

• Cluj-Napoca: the Heart of Transylvania and Cluj.com
• Romania Tourism
• Wikitravel
• Lonely Planet
• Trip Advisor
• Culinary guides: www.transylvanian-taste.com
• Or try the Cluj Tourism Mobile App

Symposium Venue

The Biogeography of the Carpathians Symposium will take place in the modern Conference set-up of the Faculty of Economics (FSEGA) of the Babeș-Bolyai University (for more details see here), located in the recently developed eastern business and commercial centre of the city (please also check the ‘Conference Venue’ marker from Google Maps below).

Dinner Gala

The dinner gala will be organised in the evening of September 29 at the historical Urban Culture Centre, a XIX^th century building in eclectic architectural style located in the ‘Simion Bărnuțiu’ Central Park of Cluj-Napoca (please also check the ‘Dinner gala’ marker from Google Maps below).