IAL10 – Post-congress excursion, 1st – 3rd August 2026 Italian and Slovenian Classical Karst
The aim of the excursion is the exploration of several environments and lichen communities in the Italian and Slovenian Classical Karst. This area extends from the Gulf of Trieste to the Vipava Valley and is characterized by a karstic and hilly plateau of carbonatic rocks, with dolines and caves, covered by deciduous and pine forests and submediterranean climate. The program includes three full-day excursions, with Trieste as base for overnight stays, as follows.
Day 1
1st august 2026
Morning
Meeting point in Trieste city center; ride to the Val Rosandra canyon natural reserve: a gorge with karstic features, such as solution pans, rills, karrens, crossed by the unique surface watercourses in the Italian Karst. The area is characterized by the transition from continental to mediterranean climate.
Habitats: Calcareous rocks and walls, with scattered outcrops of flysch; deciduous oak and pine forests, with predominance of Illyric elements. Epilithic and endolithic lichen communities on calcareous rocks typical of dry climate.
(We’ll descend from the upper rim, 350 m above sea level (a.s.l.), to the bottom of the canyon, 80 m a.s.l.)
Afternoon
Škocjan Caves and sourroundings: a significant underground phenomenon on the Karst Plateau, where the Reka River disappears underground into Škocjan Caves and then flows underground for 34 kilometers.
Habitats: Karst doline with calcareous rocks and impressive vertical faces in mixed oak forest. Epiphytic lichen communities on oak and epilithic and endolithic lichen communities on calcareous rocks in humid climate.
(400 – 300 m a.s.l. )
Evening
Dinner at a local restaurant
Night
Return to Trieste
Day 2
2nd august 2026
Morning & Afternoon
Meeting point in Trieste city center. Ride to Trnovo forest plateau: a karst plateau at the extreme northwest end of the Dinaric Alps, with karstic features: large sinkholes with temperature and vegetation inversion, and ice caves.
Habitats: Sinkhole of the Paradana ice cave: pristine beech and spruce forest.
Smrekova draga sinkhole: beech and spruce forest, and subalpine mugo pine vegetation on the bottom of the sinkholes. Epiphytic lichen communities and terricolous lichens, as well as epilithic and endolithic lichen communities on calcareous rocks in cool-humid climate.
(1000-1200 m a.s.l.)
Evening
Dinner at a local restaurant
Night
Return to Trieste
Day 3
3rd august 2026
Morning
Meeting point in Trieste city center. Ride to Duino and surroundings: the Rilke trail and the garden of the Duino Castle.
Habitats: Mixed evergreen oak (including Quercus ilex) and ash forest in (sub-)Mediterranan vegetation; calcareous rocks epiphytic and epilithic lichen communities typical of dry, shaded environment.
(0-60 m a.s.l.)
Afternoon
Duino beach and return to Trieste
Night
Return to Trieste
Participants: min. 15 – max. 20
The excursion fee includes:
- Bus from and back to Trieste for the three days
- Entrance to the Škocjan Caves and the Castle of Duino
- Packed lunches (August 1st – 3rd)
- Dinners (2x)
- Organization costs
The excursion does not include overnight cost in Trieste.
The participation to the excursion must be confirmed by enrollment and payment till 15th December 2025.
In case the pre-congress Excursions 1 and Excursion 2 would not reach the minimum amount of participants, for logistical issues all the registered participants will be asked to join EXCURSION 1. Excursion 3 will take place only if the minimum number of participant is reached.
Organization: Italian Lichen Society (Reference organizers: Lucia Muggia, lmuggia@units.it; Mauro Tretiach, tretiach@units.it; Fabio Candotto Carniel, fcandotto@units.it; Stefano Martellos, martelst@units.it; University of Trieste).