How to Have a Green Vacation in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has always been a high tourist attraction for all types of groups, starting from families, to couples and solo trips. Specifically, Amsterdam offers a wide range of activities that lets you unleash and experience the beautiful dutch culture and beauty whilst still being cautious of its effect on the environment.

Below are few examples of activities you can participate in while being eco-friendly :

Rent a Bike and visit the Brouwersgracht Canal

Visting the Brouwersgracht canal is a must when visiting Amsterdam. Regularly voted Amsterdam's most beautiful street, the Brouwersgracht canal offers many warehouses for the brewers, fish processors, and tanneries who operated in the 17th century. To this day, this canal remains a lively, beautiful, and prospering location perfect for a nice bike ride.

In addition, MacBike Fietsverhuur is one of the most famous bike rental stores located all throughout Amsterdam which provides all different types of bikes for all age groups in addition to private tours.

Stay at the Conscious Hotel Westerpark

For an eco-friendly stay, check out Amsterdams finest eco-friendly hotel the “Conscious Hotel Westerpark” located in the center of Green Westerpark. Transformed from an original, monumental building into an 89-room eco-hotel, Conscious Hotel Westerpark offers a mix of different experiences starting from cultural events and bustling local markers to peaceful green park.

This hotel is specially designed to be 100% operated by wind and solar energy from Dutch Wind mills. In addition all the materials used in the hotel are certified cradle-to-cradle meaning they are either recycled or secondhand. All the food available to costumers is locally sourced and changed seasonally to adapt to local producers. Conscious Hotel Westerpark has adopted major policies and rules to ensure a sustainable lifestyle and stay.

Visit the Jordaan Quartier and Food Canals

The Jordaan Quartier is yet another one of Amsterdam’s beautiful neighborhoods that lets you dive deeper into the dutch culture and scenery. The streets are full of indie boutiques, cozy pubs, and hip eateries. In the Noordermarkt square market, you can find locally made jewelry, clothes, antiques, organic food, and vintage ceramics and paintings. Other attractions in the area focus on smaller art galleries, Houseboat Museum, and the Amsterdam Cheese Museum.

Buying locally made food and objects help the environment by reducing your food miles. By shopping locally, you are purchasing goods produced in your local community which results in cutting down on these miles and reducing the environmental impact of your food

Shop at The 9 Small Streets – De Negen Straatjes

The most trendy shopping in Amsterdam takes place at the "Nine Small streets" of the Old town. The 9 small streets are three streets that cross two canals. The streets are filled with small local fashion shops, nice restaurants, café shops, bookshops, and local producers. This area within the old town is mainly visited and used by locals to go shopping, get beautiful, eat, and drink. Here you can really experience and appreciate the beautiful, unique and fascinating culture.

SOURCES

Dodge, Kaelin. "Fodors Travel." Edited by Jesse Tabit. Brouwersgracht Canal, https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/things-to-do/sights/reviews/brouwersgracht-150334 Accessed on 13 Dec. 2020

Conscious Hotels Group. "Conscious Hotels." Conscious Hotels Waterpark, www.conscioushotels.com/ho

tels/westerpark-amsterdam/. Accessed on 10 Dec. 2020

"Jordaan." I Amsterdam, 2012, https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/about-amsterdam/a

msterdam-neighbourhoods/centre/jordaan Accessed on 10 Dec. 2020

D., Martin. "Amsterdamn.info." The 9 Small Streets – De Negen Straatjes, 2003,

https://www.amsterdam.info/9-small-streets/ Accessed on 11 Dec. 2020