Giethoorn - a village without roads

Lovers of visiting the most unusual places in the world will surely like the wonderful village in the Netherlands - Giethoorn. This is a very small settlement, remarkable, first of all, by the fact that there are no streets in it - it is located in the middle of the water. That is why its second name is Dutch Venice.

Giethoorn - a village without roads

However, the real Venice is submerged as the land on which it is built slowly sinks into the sea. In Giethoorn, each of the houses ended up on its own island through the fault of the inhabitants themselves. The fact is that the main occupation of the inhabitants of the village was peat extraction. And they dug it out where it was most convenient - right in front of the houses. Peat was mined over time, pits remained in place, which were gradually filled with water. Thus, even neighbors have to be reached by boat.

Naturally, Giethoorn did not immediately become the Dutch Venice: the village has existed since the 13th century. It was founded by immigrants from the south of the country who fled from a severe flood.

Today, Giethoorn (province of Overijssel, northern part of the Netherlands) has approximately 2,600 inhabitants. It is a quiet and cozy place that is extremely popular with tourists. The village is very picturesque (however, like many other Dutch villages), but its special charm is given by the numerous bridges (there are more than 170 of them here) and residents moving by boats. The bridges are rather curved: this was done on purpose so that it would be convenient to swim under them.

There are practically no roads here. The only thing that the residents could not deny themselves was cycling (as you know, the Dutch have no idea how to do without bicycles). Therefore, the village has paths for cyclists, along which you can move around on foot.

Transport in Giethoorn

However, the main mode of transport in the village is boats, which are available in every house. Cars are not used here, but a variety of boats are used: oar, inflatable, motor. Some residents have boats, and the largest vehicle is an electric robot. But without exception, all floating craft operate only on electricity: both gasoline (even the highest quality) and diesel fuel are prohibited here. As a result, there is almost no noise from the engines, and tourists call these vehicles whispering boats.

There is a large national park not far from the village. As expected, there is a church, as well as several museums. Tourists will be shown how local farmers live (there is a rural house-museum in Giethoorn), they will talk about the peculiarities of ceramic production and demonstrate a collection of precious stones.

The history of a village without roads

The world learned about the existence of an unusual Dutch village in the 60s. XX century. She was glorified by the famous director Bert Hanstra, captured in the comedy film "Fanfare". People liked the beauty of these places so much that Giethoorn soon became a real tourist Mecca.

People come here to enjoy the marvelous landscapes and pacifying silence, to plunge into the atmosphere of the 18th century - here almost everything has been preserved in the same form as it was more than 200 years ago. Even the roofs of many houses are still covered with thatch, since in the Middle Ages only very wealthy people could afford tiling. There is an abundance of reed in the vicinity, and it goes to the roof. By the way, now houses with thatched roofs are more expensive than with tiled ones, since they are considered Dutch classics.

Another feature that immediately attracts the attention of tourists is the abundance of goat horns. They are used to decorate the walls of houses, fences, roofs. The very name of the village - Giethoorn (the Dutch pronounce "Githorn") - comes from a phrase that means goat horns. There is a legend that the founders of the village, having arrived in this place in 1230, the first thing they saw were goat's horns lying on the ground in large numbers. Apparently, in ancient times, this area was flooded, a whole herd of goats was under the water, and the horns are the only thing that could survive in the water. Travelers enjoy taking pictures of this local landmark, and they themselves are filming against their background.

Where to stay in Giethoorn

Despite its small size (the length of the settlement is only 6 km), several hotels (about ten) are open in the village - thus, travelers can take their time to visit everywhere and see everything at once, but stay in this quiet place for several days.

What to do in Giethoorn

Here you can go fishing - the local lakes are rich in fish. True, you can only catch it after obtaining the appropriate permission from the local authorities and having familiarized yourself with the fishing rules: in Giethoorn there are rules for catching, for exceeding which you can get to the police. You can just go for a ride on the canals: boats and boats are offered for rent. By the way, traffic is organized here: there are even traffic lights and other signs on the canals, so you will have to follow the rules of water traffic.

In the evening, tourists are welcomed by the owners of bars and small home-made restaurants, where you can taste Dutch and Belgian cuisine in an atmosphere of comfort and peace. For the villagers, tourism is one of the main sources of income, so travelers are always welcome here.

How to get to the village

Get to Giethoorn from Amsterdam by train. The journey takes two and a half hours, and you will have to make 2 changes. From the final stop - Steenwijk - there is a bus to the village, and there - on foot or by boat. By the way, locals also leave their cars in front of the village: there is a specially made parking lot there.

It is the absence of vehicles that provides such an unusual silence for modern people in this place and creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. There is no fee for visiting the village - after all, this is an ordinary settlement, not an attraction. You will only have to fork out if you want to rent a boat or stay at a hotel.

Almost all travelers are delighted with Giethoorn, and not only because of the uniqueness of this place. It is felt that the villagers themselves are very fond of their small homeland. They consider their village to be the only place in the world where they can be in harmony with themselves, and, accordingly, take care of it as best they can. All houses are very well-groomed, flowers and greenery delight the eyes almost all year round: each homeowner arranges a lawn in front of his home, plants trees and shrubs, which he regularly mows.

Buying a home

Many foreigners like the countryside so much that they start asking how they can buy a house here. The guides, however, have to disappoint potential buyers: houses are not for sale here, they can only be rented for a while. Local residents categorically do not want to change their usual way of life and let foreigners with their modern manners and customs only for a short time. On the other hand, tourists get maximum pleasure from visiting Giethoorn: peace and quiet allows you to completely relax and calm down the nerves inflated by the modern rhythm of life.

Returning home, many tourists, remembering this place and telling their friends about it, call it a paradise, “a fabulous unreality”.According to them, in the village there is a feeling that you are transported in a time machine at least 300 years ago.

Giethoorn on the map