And because we know you, and our European travel commissars, love sustainability. Get smart bikes and boats in Green Aveiro.
Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal Centro, may be known best for its boats.
And its fishermen’s bawdy celebration of womenfolk on the side of their vessels.
But it’s got on its bike here to draw the attention of the European Commission.
Green for go
And it has only been shortlisted for the Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism.
Along with Baltics beauts Jurmala and Liepāja (Latvia) and Panevéžys (Lithuania), Bulgaria’s brightest Sliven and Greece’s epic Nea Propontida.
And Spanish hotspot Benidorm.
To succeed the Italian city of Grosseto.
Now all of these presentations are being made to the powers that be and we wish them all well.
As we do the candidates for the European Capital of Smart Tourism…
Brussels, Genoa, Konya (Turkiye), Lahti (Finland), Lviv (Ukraine) and another Portuguese pearl Porto.
All towns and regions which present a challenge to even the most travelled of us who visit.
The special one
The same, of course, could be said of Aveiro, until, of course, you come across super guide Jose Madomis.
With proud native of Portugal Centro Jose swearing that every major movement in the country’s history sprung from here.
He’s right about Aveiro too which we found out for ourselves while meandering through its canals, so it has a sustainable start on many of its rivals.
Of course our Portuguese pals don’t rest of their laurels and their burghers have caught the attention of the European sustainable overseers.
With the European Commission bigging them up with these observations.
The city has launched the BUGA shared bicycle system, which offers a wider network and new models of bikes with GPS for use around the city.
And boast Portugal’s first fully electric ferry, electric moliceiros (boats), and electric buses, all helping to reduce the city’s CO2 emissions.
The future is green
They also highlight the town’s waste management scheme, where residents can earn points for correct waste disposal.
Redeemable for discounts or an exchange of items they no longer need.
While as the first Portuguese Capital of Culture in 2024.
Aveiro has had a year-round cultural programme promoting its local heritage.
And it’s not just for this year either with a Municipal Climate Action Plan planned, with a direct target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In addition, the city is focused on monitoring air quality, providing real-time data on air quality and noise levels through an Urban Platform.
Now, not wanting to influence our European commissars but we’d advise them to get smart bikes and boats in Green Aveiro.