If you grew up obsessed with fairy tales, you’d probably love to visit a picturesque village that resembles those you read about in all those magical books as a child. Now you can, because Giethoorn, also known as “The Venice of The Netherlands,” is a road-free village with gorgeous scenery that you have to navigate by canals. Who’s ready for a trip?
- You can navigate Giethoorn by “whisper boat.” What’s a whisper boat, you ask? A boat with a noiseless engine, meaning you can sail along happily without disturbing the residents of this picturesque village or other visitors. They’re easy and inexpensive to rent and are the best way of getting around.
- The village was founded around 1230. That means it’s incredibly old and has a ton of history behind it. When the initial inhabitants discovered deposits of peat, they dug holes — a whole lot of holes, in fact — which eventually turned into lakes.
- More than 176 bridges connect the land masses in Giethoorn. With so much water, pedestrians need a way of navigating Giethoorn, which is why the bridges were built. They connect each of the mini islands in the picturesque village and allow people to get around with ease.
- It’s incredibly peaceful. If you’re looking for a vacation that’s tranquil, relaxing, and well off the beaten track, you should definitely head to Giethoorn. While there are likely to be plenty of other tourists depending on the time of year you visit, it’s still somewhat of a well-hidden secret, especially in comparison to those who head to more populated and easily accessible places in The Netherlands.
- There’s plenty to do there. Frankly, you could spend your entire time in Giethoorn strolling along the canals (or riding along them in a whisper boat!) and that would be enough. However, you could also go cycling, visit the Schreur shipyard, or check out the variety of cafes and restaurants there. What are you waiting for? Time to get your trip booked.
