Discover Giethoorn and its countryside

Giethoorn is a water-rich village wedged between two beautiful nature reserves: De Weerribben and De Wieden. These two areas together form the Weerribben-De Wieden National Park, which, with an area of 10,000 hectares, is the largest contiguous low peat swamp in North-West Europe. This route takes you through this national park, you will see both the Weerribben and De Wieden. No matter how pristine and natural the environment looks, every square meter is made by human hands. Over the course of three centuries, the residents dug the peat to make peat. The landscape changed into a swampy swamp area where you see a beautiful mix of swamp forests, endless reed fields, flower-rich meadows and water, lots of water.

The first kilometers you drive along the Thijssengracht. Originally, this canal served as a transport route for the transport of peat from the area. On a seventeenth-century map, the Thijssengracht is depicted as one of the four water connections to the Giethoornse Meer. The canal is named after the then owner. Nowadays pleasure boats sail on the canal.
You also pass through Steenwijk. This old, former fortified town has more than 60 national monuments, including De Markt and the city canals. Steenwijk was located in a strategic location during the Eighty Years' War, which meant that there were regular battles for the town.

The pearl on your route is of course Giethoorn. This picturesque village is known as Venice of the North thanks to its many bridges and waterways. You will see dozens of characteristic national monuments here. Much traffic takes place over the water, via so-called punts that - just like the gondolas in Venice - are propelled by a punt boom.