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Weekend in Zwolle on the agenda? Then rather skip the well-known (fast fashion) fashion chains and restaurants, but pay a visit to these conscious hotspots in Zwolle. In the stores you’ll find little gems for yourself or nice gifts for someone else. In the restaurants and cafes you eat local and vegetarian or vegan.
Do you also want a little sustainable lodging? You can do so just outside the city center at B&B Klein Vreugderijk. The B&B is in the old barn. It is insulated with sheep wool, many materials have been reused and all electricity goes on solar energy. Breakfast is with products from their own garden and the local farm. We love it!
Stores
If you’re going to shop then, of course you prefer to do it a little bit consciously. In these stores you are well off:
1. The Overijssel Diva
At the Overijsselse Diva you will find beautiful second hand items from brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Acne or Balmain. By default you pay only a quarter of the new price, so a very nice way to find really unique items.
By the way, you can also expect higher-end clothing to last a bit longer, which makes it more durable and well worth the investment.
Address: Sassenstraat 14
2. Organic market
Every Friday there is an organic market in the center of Zwolle. Perfect for gathering some food on a sunny day for a picnic in the park or along the canal. You can find here fruits and vegetables, breads and delicacies.
Address: Milk Market
3. Villa Beautiful
All clothing at Villa Beautiful is sustainable and fair. The collection is put together with care and they only sell things they stand behind 100%. Besides clothes you can also find toys, cuddly toys, craft stuff, games and books. Perfect if you are looking for presents.
Address: Sassenstraat 66
4. Finders Keepers
For vintage items at good prices you have to be at Finders Keepers. All items are personally selected by the owner and so you will find beautiful items here. Always nice to take a look, just to get some inspiration.
Address: Luttekestraat 56
Restaurants and cafes
Fancy a coffee or something to eat after shopping? These hotspots in Zwolle are vega or vegan.
1. Engel – Shop Cafe
At Engel you can go for good coffee or a nice lunch. Mostly from organic, local products from the season. Not everything on the menu is vega or vegan, but there is plenty of choice and dishes they are happy to adapt for you. Also if you have an allergy or other dietary needs.
Also fun: in addition to being a cafe, Engel is also a store for sustainable gifts. For example, they sell warm ecological blankets from lambswool and recycled glassware. Often handmade by people with a distance to the labor market, for example. With right one of the most sustainable hotspots of Zwolle.
Address: Grote Markt 3
2. The Greenhouse of Kaat
Not in the center of Zwolle, but worth a visit: the Greenhouse of Kaat. The greenhouse houses a studio, a bakery, a civil service, a nursery and a kitchen/lunch café. In the lunch café you can choose from a variety of savory and sweet treats and a good lunch. Everything here is organic.
Address: Kuyerhuis Avenue 8D
3. The Screaming Kitchen Maids
Do you love pie? Then you should definitely take a break at the Gillende Keukenmeiden. They have here namely organic, gluten-free and vegan cakes. But not only that, they also have many good sandwiches. On a summer day you can sit here in the garden.
Address: Meerminneplein 7
4. 20-five
20-five is a Bulgarian restaurant. As the owners Silviya and René say, Bulgarian cuisine is really a must for lovers of fresh ingredients, lots of vegetables and pure dishes. They serve the dishes in small portions. Perfect to end a day of strolling along the sustainable hotspots of Zwolle.
Address: Gasthuisplein 25
The 8 most sustainable hotspots of Zwolle