We all know – and love – Venice: the winding channels, navigated by exceptionally long, richly decorated gondolas, the Gothic palaces along the waterline and the beautiful baroque basilica’s. There is really nowhere in the world.
The only big disadvantage? The chaos is personalized for most of the year, while millions of tourists get into his narrow yawning For that perfect channel selfie.
And listen, we get it, Venice is absolutely beautiful, but it is not the only destination in Europe with picturesque waterways. 828 miles north, there is one Small, by far Dutch city With 5 miles of canals and fairy -tale houses with thatched roof:
So This Is Dutch Venice
Just like Venice, the Netherlands is one of the most popular summer issues for international tourists, with more than 20 million guests who are registered on average per year.
Strangely enough, tourism seems to be heavily concentrated in two or three focus cities, in particular Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, while the rest of the country remains undiscovered –Is that usually not the case?
Hidden in the province of Overijssel, only more than 1 hour away from Schiphol Airport, Giethoorn is one of those hidden precious stones, but the Amsterdam levels of fame reaches.
With wide canals that run past lush pieces of greenery, peppered with age -old mansions and relaxed, water -oriented pubs and various islands connected by curved wooden bridges, It is the Dutch equivalent of Venice.
With only 2,805 residents officially, it is of course a lot smaller than its Italian counterpart, but not a little less charming.
Picturesque canals and cycle paths
Giethoorn is more a day trip destination, in contrast to somewhere where you will stay several days, but it is still perfect to escape the crowds, especially if you combine a visit here with one of the dams, The Hague, Eindhoven or other larger Dutch cities.
Just 4 square miles long, It can be seen completely within a few hoursAnd it certainly helps that the historic center, where most canals and image-perfect foot transitions are largely autos-free.
In the past there were not even roads: the locals always shed around the large Moerashoorn on small boats, but now cycle paths are installed, such as almost everywhere in the Netherlands, you can explore the municipality by bicycle.
If you ask us The best way to see Giethoorn is water.
Point around Giethoorn for just € 12
The many small lakes and water passages that it extends were formed by peat graves, as a means to help residents bypass the challenging terrain.
You can rent a punter (or whisper, as they are known locally), manually or electric, although the manual cheaper, available from € 12– € 15, or you can book a place on one of the many guided channel trips that are offered.
You will pass Traditional Dutch houses They have hardly changed with the death of the centuries, still decorated with reeds and decorated with quirky garden gnomes and shiny, well -maintained flower gardens (if they are in bloom, that is).
As an alternative you can Giethoorn -Walking RouteStarting from the village and extending to the countryside, although we recommend that you rent a bicycle or a Solex scooter for it, because it covers a length of 9.3 miles.
A modest cultural outing
As you may have noticed, Giethoorn is more of a ‘vibes’ destination: you come here to be mesmerized by not doing anything of all this, and perhaps grab a cold beer after you destroy your punt by one of those inviting cafés.
Van de Grijthof, with its cozy terrace overlooking a canal as a café-restaurant Slothaak, where you can taste regional delicacies, such as Apple and syrup-covered pancakes And smoked eel at reasonable prices.
That said, it is not as if Giethoorn does not have much to offer on the culture front:
It is the old Maat Uus Museum, which takes place in a local farm, is a time capsule that records life in the rural hinterland of the Netherlands 100 years ago, and It only costs € 4 to enter. Otherwise, if you are a car enthusiast, Histomobil has a large collection of classic cars and vintage carriages.
How to get to Giethoorn this summer
Most tourists who have heard from Giethoorn and go there do this with a tour. They usually consider it to be more convenient and less complicated to organize than to do it alone with public transport.
With prices from $ 79 on GetyourguideAnd it helps prevent the usual combination of trains and buses. The Non -Stop Drive takes approximately 1h25.
On the other hand, if you prefer to travel independently, you first have to go to Steenwijk, the nearest municipality with a train station.
Once in Steenwijk station, you can switch to bus line 70 (direction Zwartsluis), or 270 (only in the high season), and jump on Dominee Hylkemaweg or Giethoorn Center.
The one -way costs with public transport varies from € 25 to € 35.
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