We all know– and like– Venice: the winding canals, navigated by extremely long, highly decorated gondolas, the Gothic palaces lining the waterline, and the gorgeous Baroque basilicas. There’s really no place in the world rather like it.
The one big downside? The majority of the year, it is mayhem personified, as countless travelers flock into its narrow fondamente for that perfect canal selfie.
And listen, we get it, Venice is definitely beautiful, however it is not Europe’s only destination cut through with beautiful waterways. 828 miles north, there is a little, far-quainter Dutch town boasting 5 miles of canals, and fairytale-like thatched-roof houses:
< img width =" 1200 "height="800
“src=”https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Move-Over-Venice-This-European-Town-Has-5-Miles-Of-Canals-Less-Crowds.jpg” alt =”Lovely Canal In Giethoorn, The Netherlands “/ > So This Is The Dutch
Venice Comparable to Venice, the Netherlands is among the most popular summertime getaways for worldwide travelers, with over 20 million guests signed up typically per year. Strangely enough, tourist seems to be heavily concentrated in 2 or 3 focus cities, most notably Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, while the rest of the nation stays undiscovered primarily– ain’t that usually the case?
Tucked away in the province of Overijssel, just over 1h away from Schiphol Airport, Giethoorn is one of those concealed gems, yet it reaches Amsterdam levels of fame.
With wide canals that run along rich patches of green, peppered with centuries-old townhouses and relaxed, water-facing bars, and different islets connected by arched wood bridges, it is the Dutch equivalent to Venice.
With just 2,805 homeowners officially, it is a lot smaller than its Italian equivalent, of course, however not one bit less lovely.
Picturesque Canals & Cycling Trails Giethoorn is more of a day trip location, instead of someplace you remain for several days, however it’s best nonetheless for leaving the crowds, specifically if you’re integrating a check out here with one of the’ Dams, The Hague, Eindhoven, or other larger Dutch cities.
At only 4 square miles long, it can be seen completely in a couple of hours, and it surely helps that the historic center, where most of the canals and picture-perfect foot crossings are, is mainly car-free.
Back in the olden days, there weren’t even roadways: locals utilized to commute around the huge marshland Giethoorn lies in on little boats, today that biking courses have been set up, like pretty much everywhere in the Netherlands, you can check out the town by bike.
If you’re asking us, the very best way to see Giethoorn is from the water.
< img width =" 1200 "height=" 1200 "src ="https://www.traveloffpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Giethoorn-In-The-Netherlands.jpg.webp"alt =" Giethoorn In The Netherlands "/ > Punt Around Giethoorn For Just EUR12 The numerous ponds and water passages it straddles were formed by peat digging, as a means to assist locals get around the difficult terrain. You can either rent a punter (or whisper boat, as they’re known locally), manual or electrical, though the manual ones are less expensive, readily available from EUR12– EUR15, or you can book an area on among the numerous directed canal trips on offer.
You’ll be passing standard Dutch homes that have hardly altered with the passing of the centuries, still topped with thatches and embellished with eccentric garden gnomes, and glossy, well-tended flower gardens (if they remain in blossom, that is).
Additionally, you can set out on the Giethoorn Walking Route, starting from the village and extending into the countryside, though we ‘d advise you rent a bike or a Solex scooter for that, as it covers a length of 9.3 miles.
An Understated Cultural Getaway As you might have seen, Giethoorn is more of a’vibes’destination: you’re coming here to be enthralled by the idleness of everything, and possibly grab a cold beer after you moor your punter by among those inviting cafés.
From De Grachthof, with its relaxing terrace overlooking a canal, to Café-Restaurant Sloothaak, where you can sample regional specials, like apple and syrup-topped pancakes and smoked eel at affordable prices.
That being stated, it’s not like Giethoorn hasn’t got a lot to use on the culture front, either:
It’s the Old Maat Uus museum, embeded in a local farmhouse, is a time capsule catching life in the rural hinterlands of the Netherlands 100 years earlier, and it costs just EUR4 to enter. Otherwise, if you’re a vehicle enthusiast, Histomobil has a big collection of classic cars and classic carriages.
How To Get To Giethoorn This Summertime Most tourists who have heard of Giethoorn and are going there do so with a guided trip. They tend to view it as easier, and less complicated to organize than doing it on your own with public transport.
With prices starting from $79 on GetYourGuide, and it helps prevent the typical combination of trains and buses. The continuously drive takes around 1h25.
On the other hand, if you prefer traveling independently, you’ll first require to get to Steenwijk, the nearest town with a train station.
When in Steenwijk Station, you can change to bus line 70 (instructions Zwartsluis), or 270 (just in the high season), and hop off at either Dominee Hylkemaweg or Giethoorn Centrum.
The one-way cost with public transportation ranges from EUR25 to EUR35.
< img alt=""src ="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/670a9f78091c16bd874672b1cb939f4e22e64fe6c391eb68b0f897b10dbfd49e?s=96&d=mm&r=g"height ="96" width="96"/ > Vinicius Costa Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has more than 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a propensity for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you loading your bags.
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