The Venice of the Netherlands: Giethoorn

An unmissable spring and summer program if you visit the Netherlands.
This small Dutch village is known for its bridges, waterways and points. It was called the “Venice of the Netherlands”. Giethoorn is elongated and consists of three neighbourhoods. Farms and houses are separated by canals.

History

Giethoorn was a settlement of peat farmers, but later they switched to animal husbandry. The canals were originally dug to drain peat and were used for transport and traffic, but they became increasingly important for agriculture.

Many houses were built on islands, so to speak, which can only be reached by bridges. More than 176 bridges were built in the village, but most of them are privately owned.

Getting there

The village is located in the northern part of the Netherlands. It takes a little more than an hour and a half to get there by car from Amsterdam. Parking lots are scattered throughout the village. There are free ones, but there are also paid ones. At least 2 hours by public transport. You can get here by train, but you have to transfer several times, there is no direct flight from Amsterdam. However, if you want to visit it, it is worth visiting travel agencies, because they organize many trips here.

Programmes

As in most places, various restaurants, ice cream parlors, bars, shops, museums, exhibitions. Those who want to spend several days here also have options, there are also small hotels, pensions and holiday homes, everyone can find their favorite.

It is also possible to rent a boat, which can be used to tour the village individually through the canals. Canal cruises and guided tours are also organized. Everyone can find what they want or what fits their program best.

My report

We have already visited this village twice. Once in April, the video was made from this. The weather was very bad at the time, but there was no one in the entire village, and the restaurants were hardly open. It was a perfect opportunity to learn how to drive an electric boat.

Later we went at the end of May, in sparkling sunshine. There were a lot of tourists, the village was packed. However, everything was open, all the restaurants and shops. We rented a boat for 2 hours, but it was necessary because there were literally traffic jams on the canals, so you could go slower. The atmosphere of the village is very cool, a real experience. Despite the negatives and the many people, it's worth going, but it's worth devoting a whole day to it.

Info: https://giethoorn.com/en/