Sustainable activities

In Ghent, you can cruise on the water in various types of eco-friendly boats: an electric excursion boat or a motorboat which you can steer yourself, for instance, or one of Ghent’s two zero-emission water trams. Want to consume even less external energy? Then opt for a kayak or canoe and use you own muscle power. If you scoop up some litter from the water along the way, you will provide a great service to the environment.

On land, you can also resolutely opt for electric mobility, for instance with an e-bike, e-scooter or electric moped. You can silently traverse the city and effortlessly take the whole family along – even the less active family members. Exploring Ghent by (electric) bicycle is also highly recommended.

Did you know you can pick your own fruit at several locations in Ghent? The ‘Buurtfruit’ project revolves around urban orchards and (semi-)public picking locations where you can prevent delicious ripe fruit from going to waste. A fun approach to zero-waste, do-it-yourself and delicious food! You do have to observe a few rules: don’t damage the trees, don’t pick all the fruit and pick sensibly.

We cannot imagine a more eco-friendly activity than exploring Ghent on foot. Walking is good physical exercise and does not damage the environment, provided that you do not litter or destroy plants on your path. But you would never do that, would you? There are lots of options for walking tours: a guided tour of the centre, a walk through Ghent’s green suburbs or a night stroll along the atmospheric lighting!

Of course, chilling in one of Ghent’s parks or having fun at a playground is an activity with minimum impact on the environment. Outside the city centre, you can also find fantastic green recreation areas where you can have a picnic if you want. By the way, this kind of activities are not just reserved for summer: you can enjoy the outdoors in any season, provided you have the right outfit.