Giethoorn Village

The beautiful village of Giethoorn, located in the Dutch province of Overijssel, is a fairy-tale village on the water. It was founded around 1230 and has no roads or modern transportation but comprises of canals and 176 bridges. It has more than 90 miles of water trails, surrounded by houses, museums, hotel accommodations, attractions, restaurants and cafes. Giethoorn’s extremely charming looks and canals, earned it the nickname, “Venice of the Netherlands.”

Tourists wanting to enter the village would have to leave their cars outside the village and travel by foot or boat (usually by “whisper boats”, which have noiseless engines). While sailing the canals, visitors can enjoy the curious architecture and traditional houses which are often decorated with colourful flowers, contributing to a subdued charm of the village.

According to the villagers, “the loudest sound you can normally hear is the quacking of a duck or the noise made by other birds”. Giethoorn in winter is a magical frozen wonderland. During summer it offers peace, tranquillity and unlimited enjoyment of beauty, mixed scents of flowers and the awakening of nature.