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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGiethoorn is a picturesque village in the east of the Netherlands, about an hour and a half from Amsterdam by highway (120 km). Of course, you can also get here by train or bus, but it takes longer \u2013 about two to two and a half hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s nicknamed \u201cThe Venice of the Netherlands\u201d<\/em> thanks to its network of canals. Basically, it\u2019s the village without streets, where transport is done on water, with different types of boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the canals, there are incredibly beautiful houses! Some can only be reached by water, others by crossing small wooden bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Giethoorn became internationally known after Dutch director Bert Haanstra (Oscar winner for a documentary short film) shot a comedy here in 1958. The movie is called Fanfare<\/em>, and the action takes place in a fictional village, which in reality is Giethoorn itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I first saw it in pictures and it looked like a gem! So, I decided to see it in real life. I came here with my cousins from the Netherlands and their boys, on a cold spring day in April 2022, and I returned again with them in the spring of 2025. Good decision \u2013 the weather was gorgeous!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We parked on the edge of the village, where you can find several parking spots \u2013 some free, some paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think this place is beautiful anytime. But when nature is in bloom and the sun is shining, it\u2019s just perfect!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We came here for the canal ride, of course. It\u2019s number 1 in the Top Attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What can you glide on through the canals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Locals use the \u201cpunter\u201d, a small flat boat that moves forward by pushing a long pole into the bottom of the water (in my mind, it\u2019s like a cousin of the gondola, but not nearly as fancy :)).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayaks or canoes are also options. But from what I\u2019ve seen, most tourists choose between two types of boats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rondvaartboot<\/strong> \u2013 covered or semi-covered boats that can hold groups of up to 40 people. They are steered by a captain and offer guided tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sloep Kragge<\/strong> \u2013 a small electric boat, also nicknamed the \u201cwhisper boat\u201d because it\u2019s silent. Since you glide right past people\u2019s homes, it\u2019s best not to mess up their lives with loud engines\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t need a license for this boat. You just need to know how to handle a lever. Otherwise, your fellow passengers might sometimes push the boat off the banks with their hands when you bump into them \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several routes you can take, depending on how much time you have and how much money you want to pull out of your pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n We paid \u20ac80 and rented a boat for 2 hours, for up to 5 people. We took the short route, which fits just about right: canals + exit to the lake full of swans + return through the canals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the way, you\u2019ll see all kinds of birds and animals, from geese and cows to guard dogs barking at you with conviction from the docks of private properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n I look at each house, each one unique in its own way, though most share a common element: the thatched roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their front gardens are full of shrubs, bushes, and flowers, each arranged according to inspiration (or budget\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some houses look like they\u2019re straight out of a catalog. Maybe they\u2019ve been spruced up for sale, since I\u2019ve heard quite a few locals want to sell due to the village becoming far too touristy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We even saw a few on our route. If you\u2019ve got too much money tucked under your mattress, go ahead \u2013 pull out \u20ac1,175,000 for a 361 m\u00b2 house with 5 bedrooms and a 15,000 m\u00b2 plot!?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alright, fine, here\u2019s a cheaper option: \u20ac995,000 (295 m\u00b2 house, just 2 bedrooms, 407 m\u00b2 land).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the dozens of houses in the village, we discovered one with a touching story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n During World War II, between 1943 and 1945, 6 Jews were hidden in this parsonage. The reverend of that time, his family, and other locals got involved, practically saving the lives of those 6 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bridges too give the village a special charm! There are over 170 wooden bridges crossing the canals, connecting houses or small islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It feels like being inside a fairytale, because everything is so compact, forming a tiny universe where you just float through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The village\u2019s former mill has become an important landmark, since it sits at a canal intersection and, if you don\u2019t take the right turn, you\u2019ll end up lost way out in the boonies \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the boat tour, you can stroll along the village paths, cross some of the bridges (the ones that don\u2019t actually lead straight into the locals\u2019 bedrooms\u2026), and admire people\u2019s gardens and everything they\u2019ve got around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The village church stands out \u2013 you can\u2019t miss it. Inside, creative activities are organized for anyone who wants to stop by for a while. This time, it is coloring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also come across the Village Museum, though what caught my eye more were the locals at the entrance making kniepertjes<\/strong> \u2013 thin, crispy traditional waffles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re into stones, the village also has a collection of minerals and precious stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the canals you\u2019ll find caf\u00e9s, small souvenir shops and craft stores \u2013 not cheap at all \u2013 and restaurants where you can eat fresh fish, pancakes, cheeses, and even pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If cycling is second nature to you, then rent a bike and ride not only through the village but also in the nearby Weerribben-Wieden National Park<\/strong>, which I\u2019ve heard is cool (though I haven\u2019t been myself).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Giethoorn you\u2019re far away from the chaos of big cities, BUT you should know you might also end up in a tourist crowd big enough to give you a headache\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw on the canals what it really means to just sit in the back of the boat in front of you, which is in the back of the boat in front of it, and so on \u2013 just a whole chain of boat backsides. You can only overtake very rarely \u2013 at a bend, or when a boat is stuck to the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I also saw the crowds on the village\u2019s narrow streets, when everyone ended up here at the same time, trying to escape the\u2026 crowds of the big cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the best time to come is in the morning, or in the off-season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were lucky \u2013 in April 2022, the weather wasn\u2019t great, so the place wasn\u2019t so crowded. And in May 2025, when the weather was gorgeous, we had the inspiration to leave early from Amsterdam, so we arrived just as the first boats were heading out on the canals. (On the way back, though, we saw the \u201ctraffic jam\u201d on the water \u2013 the canal was literally packed with boats crammed one into another, moving at a snail\u2019s pace!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 2-minute glimpse of this wonderful village:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>BOAT RIDE ON THE CANALS OF GIETHOORN<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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