Need a city break?
A break from the hustle, bustle and noise of a city? Then head over to Giethoorn, Holland, the picturesque village free from car traffic. Giethoorn is known for its many canals and in the spring and summer, for its colorful flowers. Even in the dead of winter, though, Giethorn will win you over with its charms, namely, its peaceful nature, the charming cottages, the many beautiful boats and the numerous wooden bridges.
This car free village can be seen one of three ways; by boat, foot or bike. Named the Venice of Holland, Giethoorn is a labyrinth of canals. In fact, the village is so dependent on its waterways, that many of the houses cannot be reached by road and the postal service delivers the mail by boat. How cute is that?
Early History of Giethoorn
Located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, Giethoorn was settled in the 1200’s when refugees (some say fugitives) from Perugia, Italy founded the village looking for a new place to farm. The land was not conducive to farming however, as it was swampy and damp. While attempting to farm their fields, the settlers unearthed large quantities of goat horns. Yes, goat horns. These horns were assumed to be the archeological remains of wild goats that drowned in the All Saint’s Flood of 1170. The villagers then began calling the village “Geytenhoren” which eventually became Dutchified in its present form of Giethoorn.
The marshland, while not ideal for farming, was a great source of peat moss which was burned as both a heating source for homes as well as for fires to cook over. It was also used as roofing material to insulate houses. The early villagers began peat mining with gusto and discovered the best way to move the harvested peat around was on the water. Canals were dug for transportation and the town became dedicated to water transportation.
Today the charming brick cottages are still adorned with peat moss thatched roofs and shiny black, forest green or red shutters. The thatched roofs add to the overall charm of the village, evoke days gone by and keep the tourists coming back, however, while originally the thatched roofs were the result of cheap and plentiful peat moss, today, maintaining the thatched roofs is no longer an inexpensive alternative. The roofs cost 150 euros a square meter and need consistent attention due to weather.
Home to less than 3000 people, Giethoorn is a quiet community with four miles of canals. Many of the residents live on private islands with their main means of transportation are with a canoe, kayak, punts or whisper boats (so named for their silent motor that does not disrupt the tranquility). Homeowners with cars park outside the village in a specially designated lot and then use punt boats to get around. One can also traverse the town on a bike or by foot.
I, for one, plan on returning to Giethoorn when the weather is better. I want to ride a bike around the village, past the adorable thatched roofed cottages, over the wooden bridges past glorious, colorful flowers, past the lake and out to the Dutch countryside where I will throw down a blanket and lay out a picnic.
I hope you are able to experience the charm of this quaint Dutch village one day too.
15 Comments
That looks amazing! I love the idea of a canal tour complete with tea. Pretty much my ideal boat tour, really! #farawayfiles
It was really quiet as it is winter. I think it gets pretty busy in the summer months, but I want to return when the flowers are in bloom. The boat ride was just us and the guide!
I have one word – delightful! Who wouldn’t want to ride a bike around that pretty town and then stop for a canal tour. Thanks for sharing #farawayfiles
Delightful is the perfect description! #farawayfiles
This sounds absolutely wonderful. Love the sound of this Dutch village. I’m really big fan of lesser-known gems around the world and this looks delightful. Great find for #FarawayFiles
I hope you have the chance to visit it. I love a hidden gem too. #farawayfiles
Thank you for introducing me to this incredible city! I’m a big fan of The Netherlands in general, but I haven’t explored much outside of Amsterdam. I think I’ll take your tip and wait for the weather to get better to go. The history museum sounds right up my alley. 🙂
I can only imagine it (and look at photos online) in the summer with all the beautiful flowers. My daughter plans on going to university in The Netherlands so I am excited to return. #farawayfiles
Amazing! I really want to visit Giethoorn!
It is worth a visit! #farawayfiles
I love Giethoorn! This village is literally straight out of a fairytale book. I haven’t been to such a sweet place in my life! Can’t wait to go back in the spring time. 🙂
Bruna
I cannot wait to return too. Certain places just have a calming effect and this is one of them. #farawayfiles
O gosh how cute little town – it really looks like fairy tale! #FarawayFiles
It is quite charming and fairytale-esque indeed. I hope you get a chance to visit it one day. #farawayfiles.
Giethoorn is an amazing place! You can do a lot of things in that village. You can rent a boat or have a tour in the canal.