The more I travel, the more I appreciate the quaint and the charming. Don’t get me wrong, major tourist attractions are what they are for a reason. But when I am exploring those major attractions, I am surrounded by, well, other tourists. That doesn’t help me get to know the people and their cultures. So when I find a jewel like Giethoorn, though, I feel like I’ve struck gold.
Giethoorn is known as the “Venice of the Netherlands,” and for good reason. It’s a lush place, small strips of land, built up with charming thatched-roof homes. The land is broken up by waterways which are spanned by 176 charming wooden bridges. The village has fewer than 3,000 residents. You can see them biking, boating, or even (conditions permitting) ice skating around, but cars are not permitted.
I had the opportunity to explore Giethoorn’s canals and bridges with a friend. We rented a small motorboat for a reasonable fee and, armed with a map, we set off. The map depicted our route, and the many turns we needed to take. The rental representative told us about how long the route would take, and when to head back to the starting point. We headed out through the canals. I’m not too proud to admit we might have run into a canal wall or two, but eventually (after a lot of laughs) we exited the canal system and made it out to a big lake with a couple of small islands and a different perspective on the village.
Exploring the village via boat gave us an idea of which shops we wanted to visit, and which restaurants (many with both indoor and outdoor seating), we wanted to try. Choices ranged from the upscale to the quick and delicious fried fish, and of course there were plenty of ice cream shops to choose from.
Giethoorn is an absolutely fantastic place to visit. It has a laid-back feel to it, which has much to do with not just the beautiful scenery and delicious food, but the people of the village. I have personally found the people of the Netherlands are some of the most pleasant I have ever encountered, and residents of Giethoorn are no exception. Matter of fact, I loved visiting so much that I took some of my family back a few short weeks later.
Our friends with limited mobility will be relieved to know Giethoorn has parking nearby, a short walk (about a block) outside of the village, and the sidewalks are fairly flat. You don’t have to walk far to experience the beauty of this town. Even if you only have an hour to spare, take a detour to Giethoorn, you’ll be glad you did.
For current boat rental costs, or to check if the canals are frozen enough for ice skating, please visit the village website.
