SOCIAL PROGRAMME

Join us for the Dinner Party, and spend a relaxed, enjoyable evening with your colleagues at Dorćol Platz on Saturday at 9 p.m!

What to expect:

• Plated service
• Acoholic and non-alcoholic drink
• Music
• Dancing!
• The chance to get to know better speakers, organisers and other attendees

You can make a reservation for the Dinner Party in the registration process. If, however, you've already registered for the symposium and didn't make a reservation for the Dinner Party, contact us at office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com, the reservation deadline is August 16th
Tickets to the dinner cost EUR 60.00

The Dinner Party will take place at Dorćol Platz, an additional symposium venue where Large group will also be held. Dorćol Platz is only a 15 to 20 minute walk from the main venue.

Dress Code: Casual

Date: Saturday, 26th August

Start time: 21:00 h

Location: Dorćol Platz

Address: Dobračina 59b

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com

The Concert Hall of the Kolarac Endowment is considered one of the most eminent concert venues primarily for classical, jazz and ethno music and is renowned for its acoustics. Thus, you will have the opportunity to experience the main lecture hall as a concert hall as well. The pianist, Maja Mihić and the cellist Nemanja Stanković will perform in concert on Thursday, the 24th August at 8 p.m. The Concert is free for all registered attendees of the symposium.

The programme:

• Chopin: Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65 (movements: 1. Allegro moderato; 2. Scherzo; 3. Largo; 4. Finale. Allegro)
• Stravinsky: Suite italienne (movements: 1. Introduzione; 2. Serenata; 3. Aria; 4. Tarantella; 5. Minuetto e Finale)

Short biography:

The cellist Nemanja Stanković and the pianist Maja Mihić are both eminent Serbian artists with PhDs in Music. They are professors at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. They have been performing together since 2013 and in these 10 years of cooperation, they have taken part in major classical music festivals in Serbia, Italy, France and Austria. They are especially dedicated to promoting contemporary music, so they have perfomed premieres of pieces by renowned Serbian composers Ognjen Bogdanović, Aleksandar Vujić, Milica Ilić, Nataša Bogojević. The recordings of their performances have been published as an album - a CD called “Tragovi” (Traces) by “Metropolis Music”.

More information about performers:

nemanjastankovic.com

majamihic.com

Description:
A walking tour through the historic centre of Belgrade will introduce you to the story of the turbulent history of this city that has been going on for more than 2000 years. The location of Belgrade, a city that has been on the border and crossroads for most of its history, has meant that it has always been on the path of various conquerors and travellers. In this city, primarily in its centre and the fortress, traces have been left by numerous peoples, cultures, religions. The identity and landscape of the city was formed by all its inhabitants and visitors, from the time of the Celts and the Roman Empire to the present day.

The tour of the city centre starts from the Republic Square, the main city square and the gathering place of Belgraders and their guests, a place with its dark history as well. We will walk down Knez Mihailova Street to Kalemegdan Park. At the very entrance to the park, we will chronologically revisit the complicated and turbulent history of the city – all the way from the first Celtic fortifications, through the Roman military camp on the border, Byzantine fortifications, the first arrivals of the Slavs, Belgrade as a Hungarian border town, Belgrade as the Serbian capital of Despot Stefan, the oriental Belgrade during the Ottoman Empire, to the 20th century and modern Belgrade. Walking through the Fortress, we will also see the remnants of the mentioned periods, cultures and events, and our guides will tell us more about them. After leaving the Fortress and Kalemegdan, we will walk to Kosančićev Venac where we will see the Cathedral Church, the residence of Princess Ljubica, the oldest Belgrade tavern "?" (“The Question mark”), as well as the location where the National Library used to be before it was demolished in the April bombing of 1941. Finally, we return to the point of departure where we end this tour.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com

Description:
Belgrade is a city that lies on two major European rivers - the Danube and the Sava. For most of human history, these rivers have formed the boundary between different peoples and civilizations. Here, nature has drawn a geographical boundary – between the hilly Balkan Peninsula and the fertile Pannonian plain, between the East and the West. The two banks mostly developed under different cultural influences and these differences are visible in Belgrade to this day.

We start the tour in the very centre of the city, on Marshal Biryuzova Street, where we take electric scooters. We descend across Zeleni Venac and Brankova Street to Branko's Bridge. In the middle of the bridge, above the Sava River, we will stop and admire the view of the old town and the Fortress with the Victor monument. We will try to imagine the way the view of Belgrade looked in some earlier times, when the view of Ottoman Belgrade was observed by Austrian soldiers from the other bank. We will pass by the Old Fair and remember the darkest period of Belgrade's history in the 20th century, the period of Nazi occupation and the places of suffering of those deemed undesirable at the time. We will continue driving along the banks of the Sava and Danube all the way to the Hotel Yugoslavia, where we will get acquainted with the glamorous history of this place. We will finally reach Zemun, a city in the city, a place that no real citizen of Zemun will tell us is in Belgrade. And we will see the differences right away. We will walk through the central streets of Zemun, which exude the spirit of many other cities of Central Europe. We will walk to Gardoš Hill with its Millennium Tower, and from it we will enjoy the view of Zemun and Belgrade. We will get acquainted with the story of the famous citizens of Zemun, with Janos Hunjadi, with the Habsburg past of Zemun... After returning to the centre of Zemun, we will continue driving and head back to New Belgrade. Along the way, we will pause in front of the former Palace of the Federation and hear the story of this impressive building. Then we will cross Branko's Bridge to return to the place of departure.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com
• Reservation deadline: 18 August

Description:
The twentieth century is probably the most exciting, turbulent and complicated period in Belgrade history. The century began with Belgrade as the capital of the young Kingdom of Serbia, recently liberated from the rule of the Ottoman Empire, burdened by the dynastic turmoil between the Obrenović and the Karadjordjević families. Shortly afterwards, it was the city where the first bullets were fired and which had the first casualties of the Great War. Belgrade suffered severely during the four years of war. It emerged from the war as the capital of a new state, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes which soon became Yugoslavia. Then, the Second World War started and with it the new occupation and suffering. A new war, followed by a new Yugoslavia, President Josip Broz Tito, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Cold War... The story of an era the spirit of which lives on, mostly through the pop culture and music. However, there is also the story of the end of a long century, which ended in destruction, dissolution of the country and eventually, winning over some new freedoms. The longest century in Belgrade history.

We get on the bus at the National Assembly building. At the very beginning, we are introduced to the history of the buildings in which the fate of the country and the people was decided at the very beginning of the 20th century – the buildings of the Old and New Palaces and the National Assembly. We begin with the story of two dynasties whose rivalry marked the first half of the 20th century. Then, as we head to New Belgrade and pass by the Obelisk marking the First Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement we begin the story of the "Third bloc" of countries, created at the time when the world was polarized and on the verge of a new global conflict. We continue our journey to the former Palace of the Federation where we get acquainted with the story of this impressive structure. The story of the construction of New Belgrade, as an example of the success of the new system, is a story in itself and we will tell it as we drive past the New Belgrade Blocks neighbourhood and the Highway of Brotherhood and Unity. We cross the Sava river again and head towards the Museum of Yugoslav History. We will visit the museum, learn the story of the National Liberation War, the creation of a new nation and its identity, and we will also visit the tomb of Josip Broz Tito and hear the story of the biggest diplomatic event in our country, to this day. We drive past the stadium of Red Star Football Club whose greatest successes, symbolically, marked the end of the existence of Yugoslavia. Our next stop is the Temple of St. Sava, the second largest Orthodox church in the world, where we learn the story of its construction, which, with interruptions, lasted throughout almost the entire 20th century. After the Temple, we drive past the Ministry of Defence General Staff building, severely damaged during the bombing in 1999, which symbolically marked the end of the 20th century in Belgrade.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com
• Reservation deadline: 18 August

A day filled with natural wonders and tales from the distant medieval past. In a nutshell, this is a description of the tour that will take you through Eastern Serbia's jewels. From the grandiose walls and spiritual peace of Manasija monastery to the depths of the Resava Cave and the Veliki Buk waterfall, this tour has something for everyone.

Places of visit:
- Manasija monastery
- Resava cave
- Veliki Buk waterfall

Tour description:
At 9:30 a.m., your #destinationserbia guide will pick you up from your accommodation. Manasija monastery will be our first stop on this tour, after less than 2 hours drive. It is a monumental architectural masterpiece built in the early 15th century by Despot Stefan Lazarević, one of Serbia's most intriguing medieval figures. Manasija will take your breath away with its massive fortification, beautiful paintings, and location in the middle of a beautiful valley.

The road takes us to the nearby Resava Cave, which is one of the most famous caves in Serbia, owing to the abundance of cave formations in its interior. The cave is about 2 km long in total, with 800 meters open to visitors. The temperature inside the cave remains constant throughout the year at around 7 degrees, allowing you to cool down quite a bit on hot summer days. (Make sure to bring some warm clothes and comfortable shoes.)

Our next stop is the Veliki Buk waterfall. Nestled among the hills beneath the Beljanica mountain, this place is well-known for restaurants serving locally grown trout fish and other traditional dishes. Here we will take a lunch break, after which we will return to Belgrade.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com
• Reservation deadline: 10 August

North of Belgrade, across Sava and Danube rivers, lies Vojvodina province. A gateway to fertile plains of Central Europe. Melting pot of cultures and religions, with 28 nations living together for centuries. Wander the alleys of picturesque baroque town of Sremski Karlovci, taste world-renowned wines from Fruška Gora vineyards, feel Orthodox spirituality in one of 16 monasteries located on the slopes of Fruška Gora mountain. And, in the end, experience sights, sounds and overall vibe of Novi Sad, second largest city in Serbia.

Places of visit:
- Krušedol monastery
- Sremski Karlovci
- Petrovaradin fortress
- Novi Sad

Tour description:
At 9:30 a.m., your #destinationserbia guide will pick you up from your accommodation. After around 1h drive, during which you’ll hear the stories about this unique region, we’ll reach our first stop – Krušedol monastery. Krušedol is historically and culturally the most important of 16 monasteries located on “Serbian holly mountain“ – Fruška Gora. This monastery, which served as a spiritual and cultural center for Serbs living in the southern portions of the Austrian Empire, is known as "Second Studenica" and was a spiritual beacon for the Serbs living in the region. After Krušedol we'll take a short ride to nearby town of Sremski Karlovci. This charming town will tell us about the lives of Serbs in the Habsburg, later Austro-Hungarian Empire, and their culture, which preserved the remembrance of Serbian identity. Besides historical and cultural importance, Sremski Karlovci are also the winemaking centre of Vojvodina. There are more than 30 wineries in a little town of roughly 8000 people, and the winemaking history dates back more than 2000 years! We'll sample Bermet, the most well-known local wine, which was even offered on Titanic's maiden voyage. From Sremski Karlovci road takes us to Petrovaradin fortress. Known as "Gibraltar on the Danube", fortress got its nickname because of the significance of the location and its strategic importance on the frontier of the Austrian Empire. The Petrovaradin fortress is exceptionally well preserved due to the fact that it was never the site of a significant battle, after it was constructed as one of the most advanced artillery fortresses of its day. These days, it is also the location of EXIT, one of the largest music festivals in Europe, which takes place here every year. Finally, we arrive in Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city and the so-called "Serbian Athens." We'll stroll through the lovely city center and stop at some of its most well-known attractions, including the National Theatre, Liberty Square, Zmaj Jovina Street, Church of the Name of Mary, and many others. We'll have some free time before departing for Belgrade, where we'll return in the late afternoon.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com
• Reservation deadline: 10 August

The Danube was the border for most of human civilization's existence. The natural boundary between cultures, peoples, civilizations, and religions. However, the Danube's banks were also a meeting place and a breeding ground for cultures that shaped humanity's history. Furthermore, the natural splendors of the Djerdap National Park and the mighty Danube gorge will take your breath away.

Places of visit:
- Golubac Fortress
- Lepenski Vir archeological site
- Djerdap National Park

Tour description:
At 9:00 a.m, your #destinationserbia guide will pick you up from your accommodation. The road takes us east to the Djerdap National Park. We arrive at our first stop, Golubac Fortress, after about 2 hours of driving. This fortress was built in the 14th century and has stood proudly on the rock above the river, guarding the entrance to the Djerdap gorge ever since. We'll travel back in time to hear stories about the fortress's rulers and the knights who fought here. We continue driving through the Djerdap gorge, taking in the stunning scenery along the way, until we arrive at our next stop, the archeological site of Lepenski Vir. For decades, this site has piqued the interest of world archaeologists, as well as visitors. The over 9000-year-old settlement is the oldest permanent settlement ever discovered and is regarded as the cradle of European civilization. We’ll learn about the way of life of our forefathers on the banks of this mighty river. During today's tour, we'll see the widest point on the Danube's entire course, near Golubac - 6 kilometers, as well as the narrowest point, just 140 meters. We travel to the Mali and Veliki Kazan gorges and stop at a lookout point to take in the scenery created by the Danube and Mother Nature. Optionally, in the afternoon, a boat cruise through the gorge can be arranged. On the way back, we will take a lunch break at a local restaurant, before returning to Belgrade. Return to Belgrade in early evening hours. Drop off to your accommodation in Belgrade.

• If you're interested, email office@gasi-symposium-belgrade2023.com
• Reservation deadline: 10 August