I've just returned from a long weekend away in Maastricht, situated in the south east of the Netherlands and wanted to share some of the ways I tried to make my mini break as green as possible in this pretty little Dutch town.
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT
Travelling by Eurostar
How to get to Maastricht by train
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi, then take an IC train to Liege-Guillemins, then another train to Maastricht (sounds fiddly but it was a relaxing and pleasant trip). On our return trip we took a direct train from Maastricht to Brussels (purchasing a ticket beforehand from Maastricht to Vise).
Time: 1 hr 50 to Brussels, then approximately 80-120 min to Maastricht
Did you know?
A Eurostar ticket to Brussels will cover your travel anywhere in Belgium (within 24 hours and not on Thalys or ICE trains).
Why take the Eurostar?
The 'Eurostar emits a tenth of the CO2 of flying' to their core destinations and their website indicates that a trip to Brussels by rail equals 8.2kg CO2 per passenger compared to 140.6kg CO2 per passenger from flying.
More Environmental Actions from Eurostar
- They offset carbon emissions from all journeys
- Aim to reduce their emissions by 25% 'per traveller journey by 2012'
- 'Work with Friends of the Earth on their climate campaign'
Recycling bins on the station platforms in Brussels
Um, where did I leave my bike?
The Dutch certainly popularise and glamorise the greenest mode of transport, the bike! I saw ladies looking ever so chic in heels and skirts riding bikes along the river. How do they do it? And how on earth do they find their bikes in a sea of bikes like in the picture above?
ECO SHOPPING
Dutch label, Kuyichi have wonderful edgy eco fashion such as these Organic Low Rise Skinny Jeans £115 at Asos
Most shops in Europe seem to close Sundays and Monday mornings and Maastricht was no different. Great for locals but not so great for credit card clutching tourists. We did a mad dash around the shops Saturday afternoon when we arrived knowing that was our only chance to see the shops of Maastricht.
Organic and eco fashion was unfortunately hard to find but I did notice de Bijenkorf department store had a small selection of clothing labelled 'Pure' which had organic pieces that all carried the Made-by label (which ensures the 'brand produces its collection in a people and environment friendly manner').
The Dutch are certainly helping to clean up the fashion world with their certifying organisations such as Made-by and Clean Clothes (both have headquarters based in Amsterdam). Hopefully Maastricht and the rest of the country will start opening some great eco boutiques soon!
Fashion observations
It's all about white right now in Maastricht. I'm not sure if it was the beautiful summer weather or perhaps some European fashion tome recently declared 'white is the new black in the Netherlands' but women, men and children were all seen wearing white oh so well from head to toe!
Fashion note to self:
Cute shoes and European cobblestone streets do not mix. Don't be daft like me and wear uncomfortable shoes if you plan on walking around Maastricht. I am now one blistered sister! Go for comfort and remember to have an outfit ready that is suitable for all seasons. I had no idea it was going to be so hot in Maastricht and while all the breezy white clothed beautiful people ambled by, I was hobbling along in an unintentional gothic / biker outfit of head to toe black! If only I had looked as glam as the Kuyichi model below!
One fair trade shop I had read about was Wereldwinkel, but I unfortunately ran out of time to find it. I had hoped to find some amazing vintage or at least one vintage store too but was limited again by the shopping hours.
DINING OUTOrganic and eco fashion was unfortunately hard to find but I did notice de Bijenkorf department store had a small selection of clothing labelled 'Pure' which had organic pieces that all carried the Made-by label (which ensures the 'brand produces its collection in a people and environment friendly manner').
The Dutch are certainly helping to clean up the fashion world with their certifying organisations such as Made-by and Clean Clothes (both have headquarters based in Amsterdam). Hopefully Maastricht and the rest of the country will start opening some great eco boutiques soon!
Fashion observations
It's all about white right now in Maastricht. I'm not sure if it was the beautiful summer weather or perhaps some European fashion tome recently declared 'white is the new black in the Netherlands' but women, men and children were all seen wearing white oh so well from head to toe!
Fashion note to self:
Cute shoes and European cobblestone streets do not mix. Don't be daft like me and wear uncomfortable shoes if you plan on walking around Maastricht. I am now one blistered sister! Go for comfort and remember to have an outfit ready that is suitable for all seasons. I had no idea it was going to be so hot in Maastricht and while all the breezy white clothed beautiful people ambled by, I was hobbling along in an unintentional gothic / biker outfit of head to toe black! If only I had looked as glam as the Kuyichi model below!
One fair trade shop I had read about was Wereldwinkel, but I unfortunately ran out of time to find it. I had hoped to find some amazing vintage or at least one vintage store too but was limited again by the shopping hours.
Organic muesli and fruit for breakfast at the Crowne Plaza
Vegan Pizza
This was from a small but popular Italian restaurant near the Crowne Plaza. This was actually my first cheese-less pizza (I haven't been vegan that long). I had a little chat to the chefs (as you do) and asked them if they could hold the meat and hold the cheese and they were more than happy to hand over this tasty pizza with artichokes, broccoli, onions and mushrooms.
Mushroom Ravioli at Crowne Plaza
I've never been on such chatty terms with chefs as I was on this trip. Granted, I did converse my vegan needs via the waitress when I saw nothing on the menu and again the chef was really accommodating. I had a lovely mushroom, herb filled ravioli served on a bed of sauteed green vegetables and mushrooms with balsamic vinegar. Very delicious!
Vegan dinner on the Eurostar
Technorati Tags: Maastricht, KuyichiWe slummed it in second class travelling to Maastricht but decided to return in style in Leisure Select where the seats are roomier and a meal is included in your ticket price. My vegan dinner was effectively a plate of vegetables doing weird and wonderful things I'm sure they didn't even know they were capable of (see the zucchini acting as a bowl to contain the ratatouille, while some white vegetable is wrapped around the carrots with a neat little knot). All in all, the meal was tasty and fresh and it was good to learn that Eurostar 'use organic produce sourced in the country of departure and Fairtrade products' in their food where possible'.
SLEEP
View from our hotel room, overlooking the Meuse river
I was unable to find any green hotels online in Maastricht and eventually opted for the Crowne Plaza which was situated by the river and close to everything. I did ask about the hotel's recycling policy and found out that rubbish from guest's rooms is sorted and recycled and that during quiet periods the hotel saves energy by not filling 2 floors and keeping the lights and air conditioning off in those rooms.
My hotel kit
I took my own organic and SLS and paraben free beauty products with me such as:
- Green People's Intense Repair shampoo
- Dr Bronner's Citrus Orange Organic soap
- Akamuti's Kalahari Watermelon Body moisturiser
- Coconut oil (to remove eye makeup and moisturise)
- Eucalyptus spritz bottle (water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil to freshen the room and disinfect).
A cute boutique I thought would make the perfect apartment with its little balcony and enviable riverside location!
My hotel kit
I took my own organic and SLS and paraben free beauty products with me such as:
- Green People's Intense Repair shampoo
- Dr Bronner's Citrus Orange Organic soap
- Akamuti's Kalahari Watermelon Body moisturiser
- Coconut oil (to remove eye makeup and moisturise)
- Eucalyptus spritz bottle (water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil to freshen the room and disinfect).
A cute boutique I thought would make the perfect apartment with its little balcony and enviable riverside location!
Maastricht was a relaxing and mellow place to visit in the Netherlands. Staying green was difficult in terms of shopping and accommodation but that's still the case in the majority of towns. I loved travelling their by train and am already planning another rail getaway soon. I just hope to uncover more eco boutiques, organic and vegetarian restaurants and green hotels! I'd love to hear how you try and stay green when travelling or if you have made any great green travel discoveries! Just drop me a line.
NOT EXACTLY GREEN BUT WORTH A LOOK..
Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore - situated in a former church
Drielandenpunt
Three land point is the highest place in the Netherlands and the spot where 'three lands' converge (Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands). Very fascinating for an Aussie like me! I still get awe-struck that you can pass through 3, 4 or more countries in one day!
Three land point is the highest place in the Netherlands and the spot where 'three lands' converge (Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands). Very fascinating for an Aussie like me! I still get awe-struck that you can pass through 3, 4 or more countries in one day!
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