The Green-Zones portal has identified the European environmental zones which are also worth a visit because of their cultural monuments, their historical sites or simply as an insider tip.
The Old Town of Lyon, which is a UNESCO cultural heritage site thanks to its many winding streets and the Renaissance district, and the area around the Freedom Square in the “capital of mustard” Dijon, are ranked 10th and 9th among the most beautiful environmental zones in Europe.
In both French cities, the so-called ZPA/ZPAd zones have been established for more than two years. In the event of air pollution peaks (particulate matter, ozone, NOx), these weather-related zones are activated within maximum 24 hours, afterwards many vehicles of all type classes are banned from traffic.
The urban canals of Amsterdam, the UNESCO heritage of Vienna’s old town, the promenade of the new harbour in Copenhagen, the baroque old town in Heidelberg, Germany and the “Little Venice” in Annecy, France are ranked in the middle. They are all tourist attractions and, therefore, located in protected environmental zones, in which also apply high restrictions for almost all vehicle types.
Paris ranks 1st among the most beautiful environmental zones in Europe, just before the World Heritage Site of the Historic Old Town of Prague. The French capital not only has three different environmental zones (ZCR, ZPA, ZFE) with strict restrictions on all vehicle types, but also numerous tourist attractions such as the Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, the Louvre with the Mona Lisa, the Museum d’Orsay with works by Van Gogh, Rodin and other French impressionists and of course the Eiffel Tower.