[NETHERLANDS] Day Trip to Whimsical Giethoorn Village

11:20 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Nicknamed as ‘Venice of the North’, Giethoorn’s picturesque canals and quaint thatched-roof cottages draw visitors from all around the world. Located in the eastern part of the Netherlands (approximately 2 hours train from Amsterdam), Giethoorn makes for a perfect day trip from Amsterdam.

Getting there:
Take a train from any station in the Netherlands to Steenwijk train station. Then take bus 70 or bus 270 in the direction of Giethoorn and get off at Dominee Hylkemaweg bus stop in Giethoorn.

I would recommend buying the Giethroorn-by-boat pass from Discoverholland (now priced at 26 euros in 2019). It was 23 euros in 2018 during my visit.
https://www.discoverholland.com/daytrip/24/giethoorn-by-boat


Once arriving Giethoorn, I went straight to take a boat trip which departs from Restaurant De Rietstulp.


First boat leaves at 11 am and the last boat leaves at 3 pm.




Alternatively, you can hire a small electric boat that requires little technical skill to operate, and seats two or three comfortably.



Giethoorn has over 150 bridges. The boat passed by many during the trip.




The one-hour boat trip not only offers sweeping panoramas of Giethoorn’s historical village, it also takes visitors to Lake Bovenwijde.



Lake Bovenwijde is surprisingly very shallow. The skipper demonstrated to visitors how deep the lake is by sticking a broom to the bottom of the lake. Its depth is less than the broom stick!



Cruising the canals really is the best way to discover Giethoorn. In fact, the postman still delivers mail to local residents by boat to this day.







Giethoorn’s name originates from the first inhabitants’ discovery of hundreds of goat horns (gietehorens) in the marshland, remnants of a 10th-century flood. Today no goat horns will be found here, but the vegetation is quite distinct still.









After the boat trip, I still had plenty of time to explore the rest of Giethoorn. Museum Giethoorn 't Olde Maat Uus is where visitor can see how life used to be in Giethoorn. During summer, the museum is open daily from 11am to 5pm. During winter, the museum is only open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 11am to 5pm. Entrance fee is 6.5 euros per adult and 2 euros for children (4 - 12).



A church in Giethoorn is open to public.





I leisurely strolled along the village footpaths and bridges, overlooking stunning farmhouses complete with thatched roofs.





Footpaths beside the canals are ideal for walking or cycling, and there’s a wide selection of cafes and restaurants.





There are many charming local stores selling souvenirs.













I love the cute village cottages. Each is different and unique with their own gardens.











Another souvenir shop selling beach theme decorative items.







Went to the seemingly only Chinese noodle restaurant in Giethoorn.



Menu of the restaurant,



I ordered the classic "Zha Jiang Men" - noodles with soy bean paste, cucumber and pork bits, which cost me 9 euros. Spaghetti is about the same price. Eating in the village is certainly not cheap.



Remember to take note of the last bus departing from the village (usually around 6pm - 6.30pm). You wouldn't want to miss the last bus if you're doing a day trip.

I love the whimsical village of Giethoorn and would recommend to anyone visiting Netherlands to visit it.