Giethoorn: A Picturesque Village with no Roads, Giethoorn, Netherlands

I was attracted to the beautiful town of Giethoorn by all the pictures I saw of it - which made it seem like a modern fairytale. Naturally, I found myself here on the first chance and like all others, admired the beauty of this place immensely. There is, however one thing I must clarify - when I travelled to Giethoorn, (in the cold month of December), there were very few tourists, which meant I got the best of everything. But I have since heard that in the peak season, it can get very crowded, and you may end up waiting for some time to get a boat!

Giethoorn is about an hour and a half train ride from Amsterdam. I boarded the train to Steenwijk and thereon a bus (from behind the station) brought me to this lovely roadless village. I had every intention of walking on every one of its 180 bridges. Of course that was not to be, considering that rain played hide and seek, and it was simply wonderful enough to stay on the boat and enjoy the beauty of the village, admiring the houses and cottages (some of it have thatched roofs) feeling as though I had stepped back in time.

There were boxes of flowers on a few bridges connecting immaculately maintained houses with beautiful painted shutters and gorgeous gardens. The boatman-guide kept a steady stream of information flowing, although half of what he said was lost to my ears - such was the depth of absorption in its beauty. We glided on silently through the labyrinth of canals and swooping under the bridges that serve as walkways for pedestrians. Here and there, when the water isn’t crowded with boats, ducks coast along with you. They fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of the town. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).