Responsible travel: a selection of clean breaks in Europe

Key "ecolodge" or "ecotourism" into a search engine and it will throw up thousands of results, but how can you be sure that any are the genuine article? Similar search terms such as "responsible travel", "sustainable tourism" and "ethical travel" are becoming just as over-used (and abused) by websites and tourism companies looking to ride the green wave.

So what makes a genuine 'clean break'? Essentially it is about minimising your environmental impact – on your journey and at your destination – by choosing carefully how you travel and the nature of the place you choose to stay. It's also about having a positive impact in other ways – by contributing where you can to the conservation of wildlife and local heritage, and supporting local economies.

Here is a selection of clean breaks in Europe that are taken from an extract of Rough Guides new book 'Clean Breaks - 500 new ways to see the world.'