Where are the most eco-friendly cities in Europe?

Planning a city break or putting holiday plans together for next year? Europe's not short of destinations but which cities go above and beyond when it comes to green issues? We find out the top 10 eco-friendly cities, based on traveller data and which eco-hotels rate the best.

Travel Supermarket has put together this list off the back of research from Responsible Travel Org that has discovered travellers prefer companies that embed green or eco-friendly practices into their operations, which reflects the growth we’ve seen in sustainable tourism over the last few years.

The top 10 eco-friendly cities in Europe are:

  • Bern, Switzerland
  • Helsinki, Finland
  • Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Lisbon, Portugal
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands,
  • Oslo, Norway
  • Vienna Austria

The Responsible Travel Org used Trip Advisor review data to rank the top ten eco-friendly cities in Europe and the best eco-friendly hotels to stay in in these cities. 

Image Responsible Travel Org has created its 2017 top 10 list of eco-friendly cities (left). The Inspira Santa Maria hotel in Lisbon (right) does eco in style

So what makes these European cities so ecofriendly?

Bern has a UNESCO protected biosphere with around 400kms of pristine nature to explore. 23% if its hotels are regarded as eco-hotels.

The islands of Vallisaari and Kuninkaansaari in Helsinki have been developed as a showcase for ecotourism, produce no waste and no pollution. The Scaandic Paasi Hotel chooses low impact suppliers and only serves sustainable fish.

Over in Iceland, 85% of its energy is powered by hydro and geothermail energy – take a closer look at one of Rekyjavik’s seven geothermal pools.

Amsterdam leads the way for ethical fashion but also has the Conscious Club – an old canal house that has been converted to a carbon neutral space that hosts yoga and has an organic cafe. Vienna in Austria however is a fab pick for ecohotels. Try the Boutique Hotel Stadthalle as it has the city’s largest lavender field on its roof and gives guests a green bonus for travelling on public transport.

Want to carbon offset your flights? Learn how you can do so easily here.