More and more people are vegetarians these days. Chances are, since you’re reading this, you are one yourself. If you’re wondering if and where to find vegetarian options on your travels to Europe you came to the right place. In this post you’ll find my recommendations for the best European countries to travel to as a vegetarian, along with a local vegetarian dish you should try!
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A whopping 22% of the world’s population is a vegetarian. Since 2012 I am one of them. And I live in Europe. I have also visited 23 European countries so far.
You might be considering visiting Europe for your summer break this year and you’re wondering if you will be able to find enough vegetarian options, in both stores and restaurants. These are my favorite European countries to travel to as a vegetarian.
Is it easy to be vegetarian in Europe?
The short answer, yes! As I mentioned before, I have traveled to a lot of European countries and in all these years I have barely ever walked into an issue, even all those years back. Up to 10% of Europeans identify as a vegetarian and that number is growing every year.
In my experience this growth is true. More and more stores carry a good variety of vegetarian, and recently also vegan, alternatives for meat, eggs and dairy products.
Finding something vegetarian, or even vegan, won’t be an issue in bigger cities.
In restaurants there is usually at least one vegetarian option on the menu that’s not a salad. (Some people seem to think vegetarians only eat salads, but that’s far from the truth.) Finding something vegan is usually a bit harder, but most restaurants are open to customize meals so you can eat them.
Which European countries Should I Travel To As A vegetarian?
Here you’ll see some of the best vegetarian-friendly European countries along with a local/traditional vegetarian dish.
Germany
While Germany is mostly known for their meat, like bratwurst and schnitzels, but don’t let that scare you away! It’s not all they have to offer. An estimated 9.5% of all Germans identify as vegetarians these days. The sales of plant-based meats and fish have increased 226%!!! between 2018 and 2020. With such growth there is no doubt you will be able to find something vegetarian you like in both supermarkets and restaurants.
When in Germany you should really try the traditional dish called käsespätzle. It’s my favorite food ever. Käsespätzle is a egg noodle dish baked with cheese, often topped with crispy union flakes. If you like mac ‘n cheese, you will love this dish.
You can find this dish in the more southern regions of Germany, as well as certain areas of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Another name for käsespätzle is kasnocken.
If you have more of a sweet tooth you should try kaiserschmarrn. It’s basically shredded pancake with raisins and powdered sugar and is often served with either apple sauce or marmalade. It’s often listed as a dessert, but don’t be fooled, it’s a full meal to me!
The United Kingdom
The UK has one of the fastest growing vegetarian communities. You’ll be able to find plenty of vegetarian options on the supermarket shelves and on restaurant menus alike. This make the UK one of the best countries in Europe to travel to as a vegetarian.
One of my favorite things about the UK is their traditional full breakfast, often consisting of bacon, fried, poached or scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans in red sauce, fried bread or buttered toast, and sausages. Now this doesn’t sound very vegetarian, but you could definitely make it vegetarian yourself! Some hotels or breakfast restaurants offer a vegetarian option as well. I mean, look at this delicious full breakfast I had in a hotel a few years ago!
There are many variations of this ‘full breakfast’, so a fully vegetarian version isn’t all too uncommon.
My favorite must be the ‘beans on toast‘. Many friends think I’m crazy, but it’s a traditional breakfast food for a reason. Don’t knock it ’till you try it!
Switzerland
If you love eating out, Switzerland got you covered. They have the highest density of vegetarian-friendly restaurants of all of Europe with a whopping 165.94 restaurants per 100,000 inhabitants. A study conducted by the Eco Experts even crowned Switzerland as the best European country to travel to as a vegetarian.
Switzerland is known for their high prices, but it’s even higher for meat-eaters. The average price per kilo meat is the highest of all of Europe.
Another thing Switzerland is known for is their cheeses, so it only makes sense that the traditional dish to try is a delicious melty cheese fondue! The true traditional fondue is served with chunks of bread to dip into your wine-infused cheese. A variation of this has boiled potatoes to dip.
Norway
Basically any of the northern Europe is a great choice to travel to as a vegetarian (if you have the budget!). Just like Switzerland, these countries are known for their high prices, but if you can afford to visit them, these are the foods you should definitely try!
One vegetarian (and obviously vegan) option I recommend to literally everyone who tells me they are going to Norway is getting fresh strawberries on the side of the road. They aren’t cheap (but neither are they in store), but they are so worth it. I’ll warn you though, after trying them here, strawberries will never taste the same anymore. They are so rich in taste, exactly what strawberries are supposed to taste like. When you eat strawberries at home after, they will taste like watered down mush. Try them yourself… if you dare!
Another fruit you should try when visiting Norway (or Sweden or Finland) is the cloudberry. It’s a berry that grows in the more northern regions in the world and is considered a delicacy in these countries. Beware though, they aren’t grown a lot and is mostly a wild berry. They can be quite pricey, but if you’re lucky you can find some wild ones on your hikes through these beautiful countries.
Sweden
Sweden has the highest percentage of vegetarians (along with Finland) with 12%. This obviously means there is plenty of vegetarian options available throughout Sweden.
We probably all have seen IKEA adapt their menu’s to be vegetarian-friendly over the past few years, adding vegetarian swedish balls, vegetarian hotdogs and even vegan soft ice cream for a fraction of the price of their meat/dairy options. Gotta love IKEA for just that alone!
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you definitely need to try kanelbullar. They are cinnamon buns, typically topped with sugar pearls, found in just about every café, bakery and supermarket across the country.
They look similar to your every day cinnamon bun, but these buns stand out because of the cardamom in the dough and it’s also not made with eggs. I promise you, when you’re in Sweden, it’s hard to not eat one. Or two. Or three. You get my point!
Finland
Just like in Sweden, 12% of the population identifies as a vegetarian. The Finnish cuisine is known for beef and salmon, there is obviously a lot of vegetarian foods here.
One of their traditional dishes is karjalanpiirakka. They are pastries filled with rice pudding. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really like them. They don’t have much taste in my opinion, but my mom liked it so much she made some at home several times. Just like their licorice obsession, I guess, you either love it or hate it.
One of the things I did love in Finland was their barbecues. They have them everywhere. It’s a perfect way to socialize with other people who join the barbecue and I loved roasting corn cobs on them.
While barbecue food usually consists of lots of meat, you can obviously choose for vegetarian options, such as meat substitutes, vegetables and fruits.
Hungary
I’ll finish this list off with the cheapest country out of all of the ones listed. While their cuisine is mainly focused on meat dishes and not many Hungarian people are vegetarians, they have several, very affordable vegetarian options available everywhere.
My favorite dish I tried was langos. It’s a deep fried flatbread with several toppings; the most common one being topped with sour cream and grated cheese. It’s a street food, meaning it’s cheap and easy to find anywhere.
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These were my favorite European countries to travel to as a vegetarian. Go visit Europe and try these traditional dishes yourself!
What vegetarian dish is your country known for? Let me know in the comments!
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