Giethoorn, pearl of Overijssel

Giethoorn, old mining villages such as Nijeveen and Kolderveen, the beautiful nature in the Wieden: this route lets you enjoy all the beauty of the Kop van Overijssel.

Foot ferry
In the Wieden you can fully enjoy the silence. However pristine this area may look, it has been shaped by peat extraction over the centuries. In the middle of Dwarsgracht is one of the thickest and oldest ash trees in the Netherlands. The tree was planted around 1800, and the trunk is now over 4 meters thick and 25 meters high. In Jonen you cross the Walengracht with a foot ferry. In high season the crossing costs €1.10.

Ronduite neighborhood
From the Veneweg, which has been here since 1775, you have beautiful views over the water of the Beulakerwijde and Belterwijde. The hamlet of Ronduite is located on a peninsula in the middle of the two banks. The name refers to the redoubt (military fortification) that was once located here. At the end of your route you can relax at Camping de Blauwe Hand, a special and quiet place in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park.

Venice of the North
Giethoorn is without a doubt the cultural-historical pearl on your route. 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 on quiet roads and over the water, via so-called punts that - just like the gondolas in Venice - are propelled by a punt boom. The oldest building in Giethoorn is the Reformed Church, built in 1645. Would you also like to explore the Hanseatic city of Hasselt and Genemuiden from Camping de Blauwe Hand? Then also drive route 416961.