The dreamy village of Giethoorn is located in the Netherlands. This village is known as the "Venice of the Netherlands" due to the villagers' use of boats to travel through its water canals. The area's beautiful scenery and the absence of roads have turned it into one of the Netherlands' tourist attractions.
Giethoorn Village
Giethoorn, also known as "Geithoorn Village," is located in the province of Overijssel in the beautiful country of the Netherlands. According to a 2020 census, approximately 2,795 people live in Giethoorn. Geographically, the village is situated in the southwest of the municipality of Steenwijkerland. It is about 1.5 hours away from Amsterdam, making it a popular destination for tourists who visit the capital and then take a trip to this charming village. Interestingly, the route to Giethoorn is considered one of the most scenic roads in the world. The path is so picturesque that many visitors prefer to walk part of the way just to soak in the untouched natural beauty. A travel guide to Amsterdam can also help you plan an unforgettable trip to this village.
Giethoorn is relatively small in size, and due to its layout, there are very few paved roads. The absence of cars and modern machinery in the village’s pathways means that the only sounds you’ll hear are those of nature itself.
Giethoorn: A Tourist Attraction in the Netherlands
The area of Giethoorn became a residential village in the year 1230, but for centuries, it remained relatively unknown. It wasn’t until 1958, when Bert Haanstra filmed Fanfare in the village, that Giethoorn gained international attention. The movie was featured in global film festivals, helping to showcase Giethoorn's charm to the world. In fact, the village’s untouched, rural setting became its first real tourist attraction. Nowadays, such pristine village environments are rare in Europe. Most parts of Giethoorn are connected by water canals, and visitors will find that 176 bridges link the various sections of the village together.
Giethoorn: The Venice of the Netherlands
If you’re interested in tourism in Italy, you probably know that Venice is the only large city in the world built entirely on water, with canals instead of streets. The similarity between Giethoorn’s water routes and those of Venice has led Western tourists to nickname it “the Venice of the Netherlands.”
Just as a city’s grandeur is often reflected in its architecture, the charm of a village can be judged by the beauty of its cottages. In this regard, it’s safe to say that few villages boast cottages as enchanting as those in Giethoorn. All of them are connected by water canals. At the heart of the village stand three large, beautiful houses, set apart from the rest, giving the impression of small islands in the middle of the water. In addition to the attractive architecture of the cottages, the village features a fascinating canal system. The movement of boats through the canals has even led to the installation of mirrors at intersections to prevent collisions—just like traffic mirrors on streets.
