As the name suggests, it certainly doesn’t go fast. The term: ‘Slow Travel’ suggests that it has something to do with slowing down. In a certain sense that’s exactly what it is it is.

We don’t have to rush off to places like Nice or the Playa anymore. We choose more and more to enjoy the trip and to give it more depth and meaning. By travelling more consciously, away from the big attractions, in a sustainable way. To discover more of the local culture and nature. But how do you do that and above all; where do you do that?

The origins of this movement

Slow Travel is a spin off of the Slow Food Movement. It started in the eighties in Italy as a protest against the opening of the first McDonald’s in Rome. The slow food movement wants to preserve regional cuisine, local agriculture, communal meals and traditional ways of cooking.

This cultural initiative has since grown into a ‘way of life’. It is known as the Slow Movement, which emphasizes connection. Connection with food, connection with each other and in the case of travel, connection with the local population and culture.

 

What does this mean in terms of travel

With travelling it goes the same way, the low budget airlines shot out of the ground like mushrooms. En masse we rush to tropical destinations and trendy cities to run from one sight to the next. Many people come back exhausted from a holiday to start rushing on again in an equally busy life.

Slow Travel is not so much how you get somewhere but more a mindset. Instead of wanting to see as much as possible in as little time as possible. Slow Travel is about merges into a local culture. Getting to know a small area well instead of a large area or busy city half.

How to start relaxing yourself

Slow Travel can be freely translated as relaxing. This can be transport by train and not by plane. Not only better for the environment but also travel through the landscape and see so much more. It can mean that you choose to travel by car on the inland roads to get a feeling for the region you are driving through.

But if you really want to be outdoors, you can also choose to go sailing on the Wadden Sea or the IJsselmeer. Not only does a holiday on the water offer a completely different view of the world, literally. It is the ultimate way to make use of the forces of nature. You are propelled by the wind and water. And all this in the Netherlands.

Slow Travel in the NEtherlands

For a crazy slow travel experience, you don’t even have to cross the border. That is a good thing, because this summer, due to the Corona crisis, it may not happen. You can choose to visit one of the ten nicest cities around the IJsselmeer, or maybe all of them?

Enjoying Burgundy in the south, birdwatching on the Marker Wadden or glamping on the Veluwe or finally discovering the Wadden Islands. No matter how short or long you go, the Netherlands has many special places to enjoy in your own way.

The benefits

Travelling more consciously has a lot of advantages. This way you get more attention for your surroundings instead of ticking off all the highlights from the Lonely planet at a murderous pace. Discover the advantages of a summer holiday in your own country. Don’t just learn about the places you go. You also experience the local traditions, cuisine and the beautiful nature that the Netherlands has to offer.

How do Slow Food and Slow Travel go together

Coming from the same corner with the same thoughts, Slow food and Slow travel go very well together. Learn not only about the local nature and population, but also about eating habits and local products. Take the time to visit local markets, buy organic produce and eat in small restaurants away from the crowd.

Slow Food is about finding a regular coffee place during your stay or getting your bread rolls from the baker around the corner. It’s about picking your own mussels or eating oysters that have just been fished out of the sea. Cooking together with local products. Eat mindful, local and learn to enjoy different tastes and cultures.

“Your destiny is never a place, but a new way to see things.” – Henry Miller

Henry Mille

Slowtravel on a sailing ship