Giethoorn Holland Village

Giethoorn, the Venice of Holland, is found in the North West of the province Overijssel in the middle of the nature reserve De Wieden, the area is called Waterreijk. The village Giethoorn is special in the Netherlands because of it's caracteristic wooden arch bridges and canals, in the center is not a road but a canal where you have to travel by boat. That is why Giethoorn is called the Venice of Holland.

Giethoorn, also known as “the Venice of Holland” or the “Venice of the North”, is a beautiful village in the Netherlands. There are no cars or roads here; tourists leave them out of the village and have to travel by water or on foot over the lovely wooden bridges.Located in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Giethoorn village is surrounded by a vast natural reservation entitled De Wieden, often included in tourist brochures. The travelers who adventure here are usually mesmerized by the familiar atmosphere, bohemian canals, small wooden bridges, vivid flowers and colorful 200 year old homes.

Giethoorn is located in the North West of the province Overijssel in the middle of the nature reserve De Wieden, in an area called Waterreijk:

Giethoorn is located at the edge of a national park (Weerribben-Wieden), a beautiful area.
The village Giethoorn is home to less than 3000 people, most of them live on their private islands. The around 180 bridges are the only way to reach many houses, other than by boat that is.

In winter Giethoorn is a very popular destination for ice skaters. During my last years in Holland I lived close to Giethoorn and in cold enough winters I was among the thousands who would go to Giethoorn to ice skate on a sunny Sunday afternoon.