Gierthoom

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http://www.heygo.com Giethoorn

6th May - I booked two trips today at this unique location and I am glad I did because there was something different to see both times.

We started with our virtual guide Stephan on one of the natural lakes, Stephan had travelled to the village from Amsterdam approx 90 kilometres away and hired a small electric boat (know. as whisper boats). This is one of the most popular ways of seeing the village, although during these Covid times the waterways were a lot quieter than pre-covid when the waterways are filled with tourists both walking and on boats,but that made it even more special as it felt like we were there with just Stephan, the swans & the ducks.

Giethoorn was established as a settlement of peat harvesters. Peat cutting created the ponds and lakes, and people built houses on the islands between them. As a result, access was only possible by bridge or using traditional Giethoorn boats, so-called punters – narrow boats pushed along using a long pole by a punteraar.

Giethoorn’s name originates from the first inhabitants’ discovery of hundreds of goat horns (gietehorens) in the marshland, remnants of a 10th-century flood.



We saw swans taking flight as we made our way from the open waters of the lake to the narrow canals with pretty thatched Dutch houses & their well kept gardens.

As we meandered along the canals passing ducks & swans along the way the rain was starting to fall but our trusty guide continued to relay interesting information about the life of residents in this very quiet community.

Deliveries of large items or when moving home, also building materials are all transported by flat bottom boats along the canals as there are no cars or trucks allowed.

The wooden bridges link one side to another and have stood for many years.

This village is often referred to as the Rural Venice of The North and it is easy to see why.

This trip is being repeated in June so I may well book again when we should see more flowers displayed on the bridges and in the gardens.

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