While we were in the Netherlands, we visited Giethoorn (pronounced “he-torn”), a small town with fewer than 3,000 residents. It’s nicknamed “The Venice of the Netherlands,” which is saying something in a nation famous for its canalled cities, including Amsterdam. Cars are prohibited in much of Giethoorn, and residents get around by boat, foot, or bicycle.
The city gained notoriety in 1958, when the Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra made his famous comedy Fanfare there. It has grown into a tourist destination in the years since.
The town is thoroughly charming. We took a one-hour boat tour.
This boat is identical to the one we were on.
You can rent a boat and explore on your own. We were happy to leave the driving to a nice Dutch young man who also provided commentary in Dutch and English.
Here are a few of Giethoorn’s 176 bridges.
Part of our boat tour took us onto Lake Bovenwijde, which borders Giethoorn to the east. Fun fact: This entire lake is no more than one meter deep. You could walk across the lake from one shore to the other if you were so inclined. It was formed by dredging silt from the lake to build up the land.
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We stayed in an adorable B&B. It was comfortable and nicely decorated, with a few whimsical touches.
The body wash and shampoo.
These are touch-sensitive lights on the nightstands.
We’re glad we visited Giethoorn. It’s a bit out of the way; it isn’t served by any trains, so we had to take a local bus from a nearby city. We would have liked to stay more than one night in our cute, homey B&B, but there really wasn’t much else to see aside from wandering through the residential neighborhoods and tourist shops. The boat tour was sufficient to see it all.