Today is April 22, the official Earth Day. Let us tell you how we celebrate every single day as Earth Day at Budapest 101. These are the things we do – or encourage you to do – to reduce our ecological footprint.

Public bikes of Budapest1. Getting around
All our tours in Budapest can be done by walking, biking, or using public transportation. Except if your health doesn’t allow it we encourage you to discover the city on foot or on two wheels – besides being more eco-friendly, it also allows you to see all the small details and to really feel the city. Read our blogpost about how to use the public bikes of Budapest!

Radish and strawberries at the local farmers market in Budapest2. Eating
We hate it when my food travels more than we do. Hungary has a very rich agriculture with many types of vegetables, fruits, and local animal breeds. We don’t have a sea, but you can find instead delicious fresh water fish. We recommend you to eat local when you are in Budapest, and leave that Australian steak, Brazilian avocado, and Norwegian salmon for different trips. If you are not sure how to start, take our Food Tour or request a visit at a farmers market on any other tour.

IMG_22273. Drinking
Our tap water is completely good to drink – we encourage you to avoid buying bottled water if possible. If you decide to drink mineral water pick the Hungarian brands that travel less.
Instead of ordering a Coke try a home-made syrup diluted with fizzy water – most restaurants have it on the menu.
When it comes to alcohol pick Hungarian wines, beers, and spirits that don’t have to travel thousands of miles. Go for the small family estates, as they usually use less chemicals in the vineyards and orchards. It’s logical, isn’t it? If your kid plays around the vines you won’t spray them with poison. We talk from experience as we visit many family-owned wineries on our wine tours.

Budapest postcards designed by local artists4. Buying
Again, leave those Chinese souvenirs for your trip to China. Buy from local, eco-conscious businesses, and try to get things that you will actually use. We are happy to show you our favourite finds on our Design Tour where you can get a responsible gift for everyone – the only problem will be that you will want to keep them all.

Koi fish at the Botanical Garden5. Discovering nature
The best way to appreciate and learn to protect nature is by getting out there. One thing that we love about Budapest is that you can go on easy hikes in the hills and be in the green for a whole day without even leaving the city. If you would like to experience the green side of Budapest, just request a tour in the Buda mountains – you can also try the children’s railways, the cogwheel train, or the chairlift on this tour, and it is a great choice if you travel with small kids. You can experience nature in the heart of the city as well: just visit the Margaret Island, City Park, or the Botanical Garden (“Füvészkert”), where the koi picture above was taken.

6. Marketing
Being a green tour company in Budapest we decided not to spam all the hotels with our printed flyers. We believe in the power of internet and we do all our marketing online.

I Bike Budapest
+1: If you are in Budapest this weekend, you can meet us on the I Bike Budapest demonstration: thousands of bikers will pedal around the city on the 23rd of April (2016) starting at 3 pm. These fun and friendly demonstrations have been organised for many years now, and they achieved a lot better infrastructure for bikers around Budapest. Rent a bike and join the happy crowd!

 


Judit

Judit is the founder and guide of Budapest 101