Giethoorn travel guide
Thatched farms on islands, a canal for a main street and the Weerribben-Wieden reed beds
Giethoorn is a car-free canal village in Overijssel where thatched farmhouses sit on islands linked by footbridges. Go between May and September, and be on the water early or late to dodge the midday crush. One day is the minimum from Amsterdam; a night lets you see it quiet. Costs are very high, and Schengen rules apply on entry.
Giethoorn sits in Overijssel about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk, a village where farmhouses stand on small islands joined by footbridges and the main street is a canal. Its Dutch Venice label draws crowds from all over the world, and the boats and thatched roofs live up to the photos if you time your visit well.
The canals are not decorative. Settlers arrived around 1230 and the village grew on peat; from the 16th century people dug canals to carry the peat away, and so much was removed that the digging left lakes across the area. Farms went up beside the new waterways, which is why so many are reached only by bridge.
Steer yourself. Hiring a small electric boat takes no skill at all, and several places along the Dorpsgracht rent them out; De Grachthof on Binnenpad alone has nearly 50. Start before 10:00 or after 17:00, because the middle of a summer day turns the main canal into a slow traffic jam of rental boats and tour punters.
Binnenpad, the footpath along the canal, is the way to see the village on foot. Two small museums sit on it. 't Olde Maat Uus, an old farm, recreates village life around 1900. De Oude Aarde has minerals, fossils and what it claims is the largest Aepyornis egg ever found. Remember that the gardens are private, even when there is no fence.
Beyond the village, Weerribben-Wieden National Park spreads across reed beds and the lakes left by the peat cutters. Two signed bike loops start here: the Weerribben route of about 46 km through wetland, and the Wieden route of 35 km around the lakes. Both are flat. Both empty out fast once you leave the canal.
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Top things to do in Giethoorn
Canals, footbridges, two small museums and a national park of reeds and lakes.
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Best time to visit Giethoorn
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Peak boating, with the Dorpsgracht packed from late morning to late afternoon.
Mild days, fewer boats and better odds of a quiet canal.
Few visitors; De Oude Aarde opens Wednesday to Sunday and 't Olde Maat Uus on Sundays only.
A seasonal second bus line from Steenwijk station runs from March to October; in winter bus 70 is the only link, and neither runs in the evening.
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Getting there
Train to Steenwijk, then bus 70
Giethoorn has no station and its centre is closed to cars, so the last leg is a bus, a bike or your feet. Steenwijk, about 5 km north-east, has an hourly intercity from Schiphol towards Leeuwarden; from Amsterdam Centraal, change at Lelystad. Bus 70 runs from Steenwijk all year, though not in the evening.
- From Amsterdam
- Intercity to Lelystad, then the Leeuwarden intercity to Steenwijk
- Bus 70
- Steenwijk station to Giethoorn, all year
- Seasonal line
- Extra daytime departures, March to October
- By car
- Park on the edge; no driving in the old centre
- Bus 70 is the only link that runs all year, so note the last departure back to Steenwijk before you settle in for dinner.
Where to stay
Binnenpad, Beulakerweg or Steenwijk
Stay overnight in Giethoorn to see the canals without the day crowds: once the rental boats are moored, the village goes almost silent. Rooms line Binnenpad and Beulakerweg, waterside ones go first in summer, and Steenwijk, a short bus ride away, has more choice.
- Along Binnenpad
- Waterside rooms with the main canal on the doorstep, busy by day
- Beulakerweg
- Hotel De Jonge, quiet and old-fashioned, 30 minutes' walk or a short bus 70 ride from the centre
- Steenwijk
- Station town 5 km away with more choice and easy trains
Getting around
Boats, bikes and footpaths
Hire a whisper boat, a small electric boat with a near-silent motor, and steer it yourself along the Dorpsgracht; no licence is needed, and De Grachthof alone has nearly 50. Binnenpad carries walkers and cyclists past the farmhouses, skippered tours suit anyone who wants to sit back, and bus 70 serves Beulakerweg.
- Rental boat
- No experience needed; De Grachthof alone has nearly 50
- Binnenpad
- Footpath along the main canal
- Cycling
- Weerribben loop about 46 km, Wieden loop 35 km
- Keep to the right on the canals and give the tour boats room, since they have far less space to turn than you do.
Know before you go
What makes Giethoorn worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The main canal in the evening, once the rental boats are back and the village goes quiet.
- Steering a boat yourself, which really is easy.
- A Gieterse soes at Fanfare, the restaurant named after the 1958 film shot in the village.
- The Wieden loop by bike, 35 km of lakes and reed beds.
- 't Olde Maat Uus, a farmhouse museum of village life around 1900.
Good to know
- Most gardens are private, even without a fence, so stay on Binnenpad and public bridges.
- Midday in summer is crowded: tour groups fill the main canal from late morning.
- Allow time for the bus: bus 70 is the only year-round link from Steenwijk station.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Giethoorn, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Giethoorn are being researched.
Bus 70, a rental boat and the Dorpsgracht before noon
Leave Amsterdam early for Giethoorn: an intercity to Lelystad, a change for Leeuwarden, off at Steenwijk and bus 70 into the village. Rent a boat as soon as the yards open, at De Grachthof on Binnenpad or elsewhere, and steer along the Dorpsgracht before the crowds. In the afternoon, walk Binnenpad.
Follow the Dorpsgracht through the village, under the footbridges and past the thatched farms on their islands, then push out towards the open lakes and reeds of Weerribben-Wieden. Return the boat before the midday rush, when tour boats and rentals jam the narrow main canal.
After lunch, walk Binnenpad and look in at 't Olde Maat Uus, beside the Mennonite church, for village life around 1900, or De Oude Aarde for minerals, fossils and that huge Aepyornis egg. End with coffee and a Gieterse soes at Fanfare, which screens the 1958 film shot here, before the bus back. If you can stay the night, take a boat out again after 18:00, when the rental fleet is in and the canal is left to the people who live on it.
Canal terraces on Binnenpad and a Gieterse soes
Giethoorn's restaurants are mostly in old farmhouses along the canal, and the seats to want are by the water. De Grachthof on Binnenpad has the best terrace on the Dorpsgracht and an all-day menu, Hotel De Jonge on Beulakerweg runs its own restaurant, and the local treat is Gieterse soes, a cream-filled pastry.
Fanfare, a little further along Binnenpad, takes its name from Bert Haanstra's 1958 comedy, which was filmed in the village and still plays inside; it serves lunch and dinner and sometimes has live music. Order a Gieterse soes there with your coffee, the local cream-filled choux pastry.
Away from the centre, Hotel De Jonge on Beulakerweg runs its own restaurant with outdoor tables. The village empties after dark and kitchens close earlier than in the cities, so plan to eat before 21:00 and book on summer weekends. Bring picnic food for a long boat trip or bike loop, since there is little to buy out on the lakes.
The Weerribben and Wieden loops by bike
Two flat, signed bike loops start in Giethoorn. The Weerribben route, about 46 km, heads north through Weerribben-Wieden National Park past thatched cottages and reed land still harvested today, and a second loop covers the Wieden lakes. Neither is sheltered, so check the wind before setting out.
The Wieden route is shorter at 35 km and circles the wide lakes south of the village, which formed where centuries of digging turned peat bog into open water.
Both are flat. Neither is sheltered, and a headwind across open lake country can make 35 km feel like 60, so set off in the direction that is hardest while your legs are fresh. Carry water and food, because cafes are scarce once you leave the canal. The 5 km ride from Steenwijk station is also a pleasant alternative to waiting for bus 70.
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How we research our Giethoorn travel guide
Giethoorn's train and bus 70 times are checked with NS Dutch Railways, and the boat-hire, museum and bike-route details against the village's official website, Holland.com and Wikipedia's Giethoorn entry.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of GiethoornHolland.comNS Dutch Railways
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Giethoorn.
Getting there
Any train to Steenwijk, then bus 70 into Giethoorn. From Amsterdam Centraal you usually change at Lelystad; the hourly intercity from Schiphol runs direct.
Giethoorn has no station and its centre is closed to cars, so the last leg is a bus, a bike or your feet. Steenwijk, about 5 km north-east, has an hourly intercity from Schiphol towards Leeuwarden; from Amsterdam Centraal, change at Lelystad. Bus 70 runs from Steenwijk all year, though not in the evening.
General
On the edge of the village; cars cannot enter the old centre. From there you walk, cycle or take a boat.
No. Rental boats are small and easy to steer, and anyone can manage them.
Yes, if you can. A full day covers a boat trip and the village paths, but a night lets you cycle a national park loop and see the canals without the crowds.
Yards along the Dorpsgracht and Binnenpad rent small electric boats by the hour; De Grachthof on Binnenpad has nearly 50. No licence is needed.
't Olde Maat Uus, a farmhouse museum of village life around 1900 next to the Mennonite church, and De Oude Aarde, with minerals, fossils and a huge Aepyornis egg.
The village's cream-filled choux pastry, served with coffee at cafes such as Fanfare on Binnenpad.
Canals take the place of streets in the centre: farmhouses stand on small islands reached by footbridges, and boats were long the only way to move goods.
Hire a whisper boat, a small electric boat with a near-silent motor, and steer it yourself along the Dorpsgracht; no licence is needed, and De Grachthof alone has nearly 50. Binnenpad carries walkers and cyclists past the farmhouses, skippered tours suit anyone who wants to sit back, and bus 70 serves Beulakerweg.
Timing & weather
Early mornings, evenings and the months of May and September. Summer middays are the busiest time on the main canal.
About 46 km and 35 km. Both are signed loops that start in the village, and both are flat.
The best time to visit Giethoorn is May to Sep. Boat rental in full swing and long evenings on the canals; May and September are calmer.
- Summer: June - August (Peak boating, with the Dorpsgracht packed from late morning to late afternoon)
- Shoulder: May, September (Mild days, fewer boats and better odds of a quiet canal)
- Winter: November - March (Few visitors; De Oude Aarde opens Wednesday to Sunday and 't Olde Maat Uus on Sundays only)
Visa & documents
Schengen rules govern entry to the Netherlands. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime in the Netherlands is low. Bike theft and pickpocketing in busy areas are the main issues; watch out for cyclists.
