For those who never heard of it, Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Giethoorn is globally famous for being a village with no cars (or at least part of the village). The truth is that the city deserves all of the attention it is getting and I will give you 3 reasons why you should visit it.
1. Its history
As said, Giethoorn is known for not having streets and cars. The village has countless canals and the houses are located at its margins. A bike lane follows the water and bikes and boats ate the only methods of transportation.
The canals were built by the old villagers, who dug to extract peat, a common type of moss in the region. It used to be widely used as fertilizer and fuel, and therefore, it was extremely valuable. These digs originated the canals, forming small islands where the village was built.
2. It makes you feel like you are in a movie
When I visited Giethoorn, I was thinking about how that place could easily be part of the set of a movie like “The Hobbit.” The typical houses have peat roofs and the gardens are well-decorated and well-maintained.
Throughout the village, there are over 180 bridges that connect houses and islands – some of them are so small that they belong to a single villager. It’s like owning an island.
Giethoorn is a very photogenic destination. The best time to visit it is during the spring, when the gardens are blooming and the trees are green. If you manage to visit it on a sunny day, that’s even better! But in the winter, the trees are dry and the gardens aren’t as colorful. The city is still very charming, however.
3. It is a unique and different experience
After this introduction, you can tell that Giethoorn is a very peculiar and singular destination… and that is exactly why it attracts so many tourists. Once you are in the city, you can rent a boat or kayak to explore it on your own. You can also rent bikes close to the information center.
During the warmer months, especially in the summer, the city is bustling. There is a variety of restaurants and houses of local producers who open their doors for visitation.
The only negative part is that you can’t access it via public transit. That is why we recommend that you take this tour with specialized agencies, who not only offer guides, but also transportation. You should contact Route Amsterdam if you are interested.
– Fernanda Spolaor –
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