Giethoorn – Venice of the Netherlands

A Village in Holland... With no roads AT ALL !!!!!!!

Netherlands Statistics• Area: 41,543 sq km

– 24% below sea leval

• Border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

• Elevation extremes: – lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m– highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m

• Population: 16,715,999 (July 09 est.)

• Population growth rate: 0.412% (2009 est.)

Netherlands Statistics• Age structure:

– 0-14 years: 17.4%– 15-64 years: 67.7%– 65 years and over: 14.9%

• Urban population: 82%

• Infant mortality rate: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births

• Life expectancy at birth: 79.4 years

• GDP - per capita (PPP): $39,000 (2009 est.)

Much of the land is below sea level.

GiethoornGiethoorn

• Giethoorn is a village in Holland wherein you can’t find a single road...all transportation is done by boat. No one seems to mind because it is so beautiful. It’s a lot smaller, less crowded and doesn’t have the rich history of the real Venice, but if you enjoy long, peaceful boat rides while admiring classic Dutch sceneries, Giethoorn will make a great impression on you.

• Located in the center of the Netherlands, right in the middle of the De Wieden nature reserve, the small village of Giethoorn was in 1230, by a group of fugitives. When they arrived in the area the first thing they noticed was a large mass of goat horns, left over after a flood ravaged the area a few years earlier. They initially named their settlement Geytenoorn (geit = goat), but the dialect suffered some changes over the years and it is now known as Giethoorn.

Traditional Dress

• The unique look of this 2620-inhabitants village has to do with early peat mining in the area. The villagers used to dig for peat in the areas that most suited them and the holes left behind soon turned into small and large lakes. In order to carry the peat from one area to another, people had to sail through navigable canals and ditches. Little did they know, what they build out of necessity, would eventually become a world renowned tourist destination.

• Geithoorn became a famous attraction after the year 1958, when Bert Haanstra, a great Dutch film-maker, shot his movie “Fanfare” there. That’s when tourists started arriving and calling it Venice of the Netherlands. The bridges, waterways and “punters” (typical Giethoorn boats) are unique in the world and have become trademarks of the area.

• The main attraction of Giethoorn is the village itself, admiring this one-of-a-kind settlement, in a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere will keep you busy for hours. If you’re really interested in classic Dutch village architecture, you can check out some carefully preserved 18th and 19th century farm houses, while taking the village boat tour.

• The old part of Giethoorn still has no roads, just a recently built cycling path, and the locals still use “punters” as transportation around the village.

• Sure, it’s nowhere close to Venice, in size or popularity, but for those looking for a relaxing experience, in one of the Netherlands’ most beautiful rural areas, Giethoorn is the perfect destination.