Perhaps you’ve heard of Giethoorn, Netherlands, the self-proclaimed “Venice of the Netherlands”. It’s a small village in the middle of the country, acclaimed for being car-free (hence the nickname). But is Giethoorn really worth visiting? Is it really worthy of being known as the “Venice of the Netherlands”? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Table of Contents
- An Introduction to Giethoorn, Netherlands
- Is Giethoorn Really Car-free?
- Is Giethoorn Worth Visiting?
- Things to do in Giethoorn
- Where to Stay in Giethoorn
- Giethoorn – Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Word
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An Introduction to Giethoorn, Netherlands
Giethoorn is a tiny Dutch village about 120 km northeast of Amsterdam. It’s north of Zwolle and south of Groningen, two cities that most people have never heard of. Well that is, unless you’ve seen my House Hunters International episode from 2017. It’s sort of not really on the way to anything or anywhere travelers in the Netherlands are heading.
Giethoorn has a population of only about 2800 people. Like many other places in the Netherlands, farming and agriculture are a major part of the local economy. But Giethoorn’s main industry is tourism these days. While it’s not near much else, the town receives about one million tourists per year that come to see the canals and the famous “car-free village”.
Is Giethoorn Really Car-free?
There are very few actual completely car-free places left anymore in Europe. Venice is really an outlier in that sense. Even most medieval walled cities have vehicle traffic these days.So no, technically Giethoorn is not entirely car-free.
But does Giethoorn have at least some car-free areas? It certainly does. Many residents live in homes only accessible by boat or footpath. There are nearly 200 little bridges scattered across town, most for the sole purpose of providing walking access to individual homes from the main road or footpath.
If you look up Giethoorn on Google Maps you’ll be pointed to a small town with a grid of roads. The car-free areas of Giethoorn are to the north and south of the city center.
South Giethoorn
Most of the boat rental places are south of the city center, near Vakantiepark Giethoorn. This area is partly car-free, but features a road along the main canal that leads to a parking lot. From the canal you’ll see cars driving up and down the road for about half the length of the canal.
The road turns into a footpath south of the parking lot, so if you’re looking for pure car-free views you’ll want to head down there.The south side of Giethoorn is more catered to tourists.
On top of more boat rental agencies, you’ll find far more restaurants and shops than the north side, which doesn’t actually have any cafes along the canal. There are a few cute restaurants along the canal where you can sit and not have a car in sight. There are also a lot of ice cream places for whatever reason.
North Giethoorn
The north side of town is a bit more car-free and more residential. There are canals lined with picturesque little Dutch houses with beautifully manicured lawns.
You’ll see a few cars here and there when you pass the roads as you cruise the canals, but it looks more like the fairy-tale you were expecting. There are no restaurants or shops along the main canal here, just locals trying to live their life in peace.
Verdict
No, Giethoorn is not entirely car-free. But it does have car-free areas and plenty of locals who can’t access their homes by car. If you look in the right direction it can certainly give the appearance of an entirely car-free community.
Is Giethoorn Worth Visiting?
The answer to this question is “it depends.” It primarily depends on how much time you have in the Netherlands. If you’re in the country for a week I don’t recommend visiting Giethoorn. For a better trip check out my 7-day Netherlands Travel Itinerary.
If you are spending two or more weeks in the country, Giethoorn can be worth a visit. You could stop by for a few hours on your way to the northern part of the country. It’s possible to do it as a day trip from Amsterdam, but I’d combine it with something else, like the walled medieval village of Elburg. Or make it a stop on your way to Bremen, Germany.
Giethoorn can be fun on a nice day and there’s no doubt that it can be very beautiful if you’re looking in the right direction. There are countless opportunities for beautiful photos and you can even rent a boat. It can be a really nice couple of hours.
Crowds
We can’t talk about Giethoorn without talking about the crowds. The area that people visit is very compact and it gets a lot of visitors. On a nice summer day, the canals can be so crowded with boats that you can barely even move. Talk about a traffic jam!
The overcrowding can cause discomfort and lead to an all-around less enjoyable experience. If you wish to avoid the crowds you can visit in the winter, when far less people are traveling to the Netherlands.
I first visited Giethoorn on a warm, sunny February day and barely anyone was there with us. It felt like we had the canals to ourselves! Of course winter has a higher chance of inclement weather and visiting Giethoorn is definitely not worth it in pouring rain. If you go in the off-season just pay attention to the forecast!
Verdict
So is Giethoorn worth visiting and is it worth the hype and the title of “Venice of the Netherlands”? The verdict here is that it’s not worth the hype but can still be a nice place to visit if you have plenty of time in the Netherlands and it’s not a crowded summer day or a dreary, rainy day.
If your time in Europe is short, you’re better set heading to the airport and hopping on a flight to the actual Venice, which is barely 90 minutes in the air. Venice, Italy is one of the most fascinating places on the planet. So let’s just say that if you’re expecting that you’re going to be disappointed by Giethoorn.
Things to do in Giethoorn
If you do have time to visit Giethoorn you’re going to need to know what to do while you’re there so you can make the most of it. You don’t need longer than a few hours. If you have a full day you can have lunch on a canal and stay for a cold beer and watch the boats go by.
Best times to visit Giethoorn
As mentioned above, Giethoorn can get really crowded since it is so small and highly visited. Because of this, you want to avoid peak summer weekends especially, but weekends in general if you can.
If you can get there in the morning, you’ll have a more enjoyable time than mid-afternoon (aside from the weather). And if you visit in the off-season (Nov-Mar) you’ll really have your space, even if the weather isn’t peachy.
How to get to Giethoorn
Driving is the easiest way to get there and if you drive you can park your car at one of the numerous parking lots in the village. You’ll need to rent a car or go with a local. Click here to check out rental cars from Amsterdam. Rental cars from Amsterdam are usually not cheap, but it will be worth it for the freedom.
I suggest parking at Parkeerplaats Giethoorn or Parking de Kruumte Bootverhuur (used to be free to park but now charge 4 euros).Refer to the map of parking lots below.
The parking capacity of the village is not quite up to demand in summer so if those are full you can park just outside of town. Refer to the map below for more info on parking lots in Giethoorn. All of the other parking lots on the map are free to park, you just have to walk a little further.
If you’ve taken public transportation there are a few stops you can get off at. But you’ll probably want to get off the bus here. From the bus stop it’s a short walk to the main canal.
If you’d prefer to have someone else drive you and show you around there are numerous day tours to Giethoorn from Amsterdam. You can find a tour that suits any budget on getyourguide or check out some of the options in the banner below.
Rent a boat
Giethoorn is mostly known for its canals so you’ll want to get out on the water. Anyone can rent a little boat to cruise the canals, no boating experience necessary. It’s just like driving a go-kart. There are various companies that rent out boats by the hour, too many to list here. A simple Google search for boat rental Giethoorn will give you a few ideas.
There is no need to book a boat in advance or even have an idea of where you want to rent from when you get there. There are boat rental agencies all along the canals and they all offer simple boats starting at about 20 euros per hour and getting pricier the bigger you go.
For an idea, you can check out the boat rental webpage of Bootverhuur Brunink (Boat Hire Brunink), one of the few rental agencies with an English website.
There are a lot of canals and even a large lake, so you’ll have plenty of options for where you want to cruise. In the summer there can be significant boat traffic, especially these days with everyone stopping to take the perfect photo.
There are many spots where you’ll get a nice view of a cute Dutch house on the canal with no road in sight, but you might have to wait in a queue to get that photo.
Walk the footpaths
When you’ve had enough boating, return your rental boat and set out on foot on the miles of footpaths in Giethoorn. These paths cross the canals numerous times, leading to hundreds of tiny little bridges, many of them to private residences. While not quite as thrilling as captaining your own boat, an afternoon strolling around the village on foot can be quite charming.
Rent a bike
You’re in the Netherlands after all, so why not rent a bike while you’re in Giethoorn? You can take your bike on the same footpaths as well as the roads and any dedicated bike paths. Biking is a great way to fully explore Giethoorn in a limited amount of time.
There are a few agencies in Giethoorn that offer fietsverhuur (that’s Dutch for bike rental), like Fietsverhuur Giethoorn to name one. If you are going at a busy time – i.e. summer weekend – it’s advised to reserve a bike in advance so you don’t miss out!
Stop for lunch
There are numerous restaurants along the canals in Giethoorn, most catering to day trippers. There are a surprising amount of Italian restaurants, a Chinese restaurant, and the rest are typical Dutch continental restaurants. See my guide to eating in the Netherlands to learn about what a Dutch continental restaurant really is and the types of food the Netherlands is known for.
There is no one particular restaurant along the canals that really stands out. They’re all decent and will serve you a satisfying meal. Don’t be expecting restaurants as good as in Amsterdam and you won’t be disappointed.
Where to Stay in Giethoorn
If you’re not making a day trip from Amsterdam you might want to spend the night in Giethoorn. There are not a whole lot of hotels but recently many residents have been renting out apartments on booking and airbnb. Some of the best places to stay are:
- Gieters Gruttertje: a highly regarded two-bedroom apartment on the main street in Giethoorn, close to the car-free area. They even have a private parking spot included.
- Waterpark Giethoorn: stay right on the water at Waterpark Giethoorn. It’s only accessibly by boat and features chalets of various sizes.
- Hotel B&B d’Olde Smidse: a small bed and breakfast with basic rooms of various sizes for the more budget-friendly traveler.
Or find your own accommodation on booking.com. Be sure to also have proper travel insurance on any trip to the Netherlands. You can get a great travel insurance policy from World Nomads using the link below. World Nomads provides coverage to travelers in over 100 countries and we had a good experience the one time we actually had to use the coverage.
Giethoorn – Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you need to visit Giethoorn?
You only need one day to visit Giethoorn. Not even that, really. A half day in Giethoorn is more than enough. There isn’t actually that much to do aside from walking and cruising the canals.
Is Giethoorn walkable?
Giethoorn is very walkable. There are sidewalks and paths everywhere along and over the canals. It’s not the quickest way to get around – that would be by boat. But Giethoorn is small and walking is an adequate way to see everything.
Does Giethoorn have a train station?
No, Giethoorn does not have a train station. I’d you’re taking public transportation you’ll have to get off the train in Steenwijk and hop on the #70 bus from there, which will drop you off right at the edge of Giethoorn.
How long is the train ride from Amsterdam to Giethoorn?
The total journey from Amsterdam to Giethoorn on public transportation takes just over two hours if you time it correctly. There is no direct train and it takes a combination of two trains plus a bus to get there. Most visitors drive or take a day tour.
Are there cars in Giethoorn?
Don’t be fooled by the whole “car-free village” aura. There are cars in Giethoorn. There are definitely parts of the village that don’t have roads and are only accessible by boat. But it’s not a completely car free village like people will make you believe. It’s not Venice by any stretch of the imagination.
Final Word
Giethoorn is a cute little Dutch village that claims to be car-free. While it does have many beautiful spots, it doesn’t quite live up to the hype and it’s hard to say that it’s worthy of the title “Venice of the Netherlands.”
If you have limited time in the Netherlands, it’s not worth going out of the way to get to Giethoorn. I’d recommend an extra day in Amsterdam over a day trip to Giethoorn. But if you have more time, it can be worth visiting Giethoorn to drive a boat around the canals can be a great way to spend your day!
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