A Green Day: Sustainable Tourism
Lower CO2emissions, a ‘fair’ price for producers, concern for animal welfare: we all know the politically correct arguments for supporting sustainable tourism. But sometimes you just don’t feel like being politically correct. Sometimes you just want to do something because you feel like it. You want to have fun and you want to experience something completely new. Well, you’re in luck, because it just so happens that the Dutch sustainable tourism sector is very creative in developing fun, completely new concepts.
You wake up in the morning and…
Let’s say you’ve spent the previous evening enjoying Amsterdam’s exciting nightlife until the late hours. What you would really like is a glass of fresh fruit juice and a donut. But you want your breakfast to be healthy and not too expensive. So you head for Shakie’s at Central Station or Amstel Station. All the food and beverages served at Shakie’s are delicious and healthy. Don’t fancy queuing? No problem, order your breakfast or lunch by e-mail ahead of time and find everything ready for you when you arrive.
How to spend your day
What are you going to do after breakfast? You could hire a bicycle and peddle around town or tour the canals on a boat that runs on gas or electricity. Or how about a day at Artis Zoo? Then you’ll be able to see for yourself that Tanja the hippo’s basin is heated by solar panels. Speaking of hippos: why not go on a safari! Just outside Amsterdam is the Wetlandse Safari. Other options outside of town are visiting a wine grower or ‘cow cuddling’…now that sounds like fun!
Where to go for dinner
For dinner go to Umoja. This place is hard to beat as far as sustainability is concerned. Umoja puts a lot of thought into offering guests top quality food and drinks in trendy surroundings. Another venue where you’re bound to feel good is restaurant De Kas. All items served here are as fresh as can be. How can you know for certain? That’s simple: the products are all grown in the very same greenhouse in which you are enjoying your meal!
De Vliegende Schotel is a vegetarian restaurant at the very centre of the old Jordaan district. They even cater for part-time vegetarians and any non-vegetarian table companions by serving fish dishes as well.
European Green Capital 2010
Eight out of 35 European cities have been shortlisted for the European Green Capital 2010 and 2011 titles. Three of them are from Germany. The nominees are Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bristol (United Kingdom), Copenhagen (Denmark), Freiburg (Germany), Hamburg (Germany), Münster (Germany), Oslo (Norway) and Stockholm (Sweden).
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More info on Optimist Travel
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