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The company operates a young fleet of mostly European riverboats aimed at North American, Australian and New Zealand passengers in their 50s or older. Avalon river cruises deals as itineraries and destinations extend to Egypt’s Nile River and China’s Yangtze River - from Hong Kong and Tibet to Ulaanbaatar. In this section, you will find all their ships, itinerary information, complete sailing schedules with dates and prices to compare. Known as Serdica in antiquity and Sredets in the Middle Ages, Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. The recorded history of the city begins with the attestation of the conquest of Serdica by the Roman Republic in 29 BC from the Celtic tribe Serdi. During the decline of the Roman Empire, the city was raided by Huns, Visigoths, Avars and Slavs.
River cruise lines cancel European sailings after Austria locks down borders
The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of "religio licita", a worship recognised and accepted by the Roman Empire. It was the first edict legalising Christianity, preceding the Edict of Milan by two years. If some water level problems occur, or any technical problems, Avalon Waterways may operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to change the entire cruise tour program. Check the visa requirements with your travel agent - visas are the client's responsibility. The AvalonGO App helps customers to independently explore all itinerary destinations, providing detailed daily scheduled activities, itinerary information, nearby attractions, maps, travel directions, local dining (cafes, bars, restaurants) and entertainment options.
Avalon river cruises Europe, Asia, USA hotel package deals
5 things every cruise line should copy from Avalon Waterways - The Points Guy
5 things every cruise line should copy from Avalon Waterways.
Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Until 1949, 13,114 buildings were constructed and between 10,000 and 20,000 in each following decade.[114] Sofia's architecture combines a wide range of architectural styles, some of which are aesthetically incompatible. These vary from Christian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgarian fortresses to Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apartment blocks, as well as newer glass buildings and international architecture. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in the centre of the city. These include the 4th century Rotunda of St. George, the walls of the Serdica fortress and the partially preserved Amphitheatre of Serdica. This makes Globus one of the world's largest cruisetour agencies with operations in nearly 70 countries on 6 continents and servicing over 0,5 million passengers annually with a huge variety of escorted tours, all kinds of river cruise packages, and also selling independent travel package deals. We’ve transformed ordinary cruise cabins into our one-of-a-kind Open-Air Balcony featuring the only bed with a view in river cruising.
Wake Up to a New View
The population of Sofia expanded rapidly due to migration from rural regions. New residential areas were built in the outskirts of the city, like Druzhba, Mladost and Lyulin. For Constantine the Great it was 'Sardica mea Roma est' (Serdica is my Rome). In 2024 the company introduced the newbuild boat Avalon Alegria which is deployed year-round on the Douro River in Portugal. Departures are from Lisbon, with land travel/bus transfers to Oporto/Leixoes. Avalon Alegria has scheduled two different itineraries - a classic 7-day roundtrip cruise from Oporto (visiting Regua, Pocinho, Aregos) and a 10-day cruisetour itinerary inclusive of three nights (hotel stay) in Lisbon.
The heat distribution piping network is 900 km (559 mi) long and comprises 14,000 substations and 10,000 heated buildings. After World War II and the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the architectural style was substantially altered. Stalinist Gothic public buildings emerged in the centre, notably the spacious government complex around The Largo, Vasil Levski Stadium, the Cyril and Methodius National Library and others. As the city grew outwards, the then-new neighbourhoods were dominated by many concrete tower blocks, prefabricated panel apartment buildings and examples of Brutalist architecture.
Douro River cruise itinerary (Avalon Alegria)
All Avalon riverboats feature a quiet propulsion system and outside accommodations - among the largest of the river fleets. Avalon staterooms are relaxing and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, satellite TV, hotel-quality beds, bathrooms with full-sized showers, and even private balconies. The expansive sun decks, modern fitness equipment, and beauty salons are another extra.
Avalon Waterways adding new departures to meet 2023-2024 river cruise demands
Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by the Balkan mountains to the north. Sofia is the second highest capital of the European Union (after Madrid) and the third highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella and Madrid). Unlike most European capitals, Sofia does not straddle any large river, but is surrounded by comparatively high mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes lead to the city, which have been key roads since antiquity, Vitosha being the watershed between Black and Aegean Seas. In 2019, Avalon Waterways added 6 new options, including the company's first "Ganges River Cruise" in India.
Sofia was selected as the capital of the Third Bulgarian State in the next year, ushering a period of intense demographic and economic growth. Sofia entered a period of economic and political decline in the 17th century, accelerated during the period of anarchy in the Ottoman Balkans of the late 18th and early 19th century, when local Ottoman warlords ravaged the countryside. By the 19th century the Bulgarian population had two schools and seven churches, contributing to the Bulgarian National Revival. In 1858 Nedelya Petkova created the first Bulgarian school for women in the city.
The River is Wide. So is Your View.
Another feature is the Avalon Waterways ships tracking service integrated into each page. This feature shows on a map the ship's location now (current position on the river). A member of the Globus family of brands, Avalon Waterways operates river cruises aboard sleek ships with state-of-the-art engineering that allows for smooth, comfortable sailing. According to modern records, 39,551 dwellings were constructed until 1949, 119,943 between 1950 and 1969, 287,191 between 1970 and 1989, 57,916 in the 90s and 102,623 between 2000 and 2011.
Avalon ships have English-speaking crews, and while the ship is in port, expert guides point out famous tourist spots as well as hidden gems. Guided sightseeing tours are included as part of your cruise, but you can also explore on your own if you prefer. Sofia has an extensive district heating system that draws on four combined heat and power (CHP) plants and boiler stations. Virtually the entire city (900,000 households and 5,900 companies) is centrally heated, using residual heat from electricity generation (3,000 MW) and gas- and oil-fired heating furnaces; total heat capacity is 4,640 MW.
Founded in 1928, the Globus group of companies manages over 30 businesses in the fields of tourism and aviation, offering annually over departures on over 300 unique itineraries. The company uses small ships, and their guests do receive personalized service in absolutely no crowd. Avalon makes it easy to enjoy the beauty of destinations, as they include guided sightseeing tours and shore excursions in the basic fares.
Sofia has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb; Cfb if with −3 °C isotherm) with an average annual temperature of 10.9 °C (51.6 °F). While the 1818 and 1858 earthquakes were intense and destructive, the 2012 Pernik earthquake occurred west of Sofia with a moment magnitude of 5.6 and a much lower Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). Avalon's Douro cruisetour prices in 2024 started from GBP 2730 (EUR 3180/USD 3450) per person with double occupancy. The Avalon Waterways cruise company was founded in 2004 and is a brand name owned by Group Voyagers Inc (also known simply as "Globus family of brands" and "Globus Travel Group").
These boats are usually chartered for up to 5 years, with the option the company to refurbish them or give them back to the owner. This way Avalon easily maintains one of the youngest and most modern fleets on this market. Innovation and technology - in 2011, Avalon introduced the Panorama ship - industry's first Suite-class riverboat. On Avalon's "suite ships", ~80% of all staterooms are in Suite categories, sized 1/3 larger than the industry's average, with slide-opening wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows, window-facing beds for a unique river cruising experience. Another design feature is the SDS "Silent Drive System" (providing quieter and smoother navigation), contemporary interior decor, surprisingly spacious public areas (fitted with plenty of woodwork, polished metal and glass), designer lighting, contemporary artworks. That’s because no other river cruise fleet offers you a view of the world like Avalon Suite Ships®.
