Giethoom, A Village without Roads!!!

If you ever wish to escape city rush and enjoy a peaceful ambience, pay a visit to Giethoorn. It has everything from serene landscapes to old houses and boat rides in channels to quiet wooden bridges. This is one of the most beautiful settlements in Europe. You love this place very much!

Nestled in Overijssel, in the eastern Netherlands, it is called Little Venice or Venice of the Netherlands. Remember, Giethoorn has no roads. You have instead narrow canals lined with stunning gardens. Alongside four miles of canals are farmhouses with thatched roofs dating back to 18th century.

Cars are not welcome here. The only access is by waterway on ‘whisper boats’. They work on noiseless engines. Otherwise, try on foot over its wooden arch bridges. The place therefore is very peaceful. “The loudest sound you can normally hear is the quacking of a duck or the noise made by other birds”, says the village’s website.

How do you think the village got so many waterways? Thanks to the peat deposits in the area that the early inhabitants dug. Over the years, these holes turned into lakes. The newly created islands were connected with more than 176 bridges. The bridges are made entirely from wood.

A group of fugitives from the Mediterranean region founded the village in around AD 1230. It gained popularity having been featured in the 1958 movie Fanfare, by Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra.

There are only 2620 inhabitants in Giethoorn. Cycling and sailing as well as a guided canal tour are some of the many ways to discover its rustic charm. Giethoorn is like something straight out of a fairy tale book. So take a break and head to this magical village in Netherlands.