All of us have dreamt about so many places of fantasy. From a city in the sky to a settlement behind the entrance of a waterfall. All of these exist in fairy tales. But, have you ever heard about a village with no roads!? No less than a fairyland is Giethoorn, a village located in the Dutch province of Netherlands.
This village has no roads. Boats, punters and canoes are used to commute, which means this village has a number of canals. If people want to visit any place, either they go on foot or use any form of the waterway. Let us delve next into how did this village even exist and what is its history?
Giethoorn is in the middle of a national reserve. In the 13th century, Franciscan monks were the first who settled in this area and dug up canals for the transportation of peat. Giethoorn got famous in 1958 because of its appearance in the movie ‘Fanfare’ made by a Dutch filmmaker. This village basically comprises of many small islands which are connected to the mainland by over 176 bridges. All these islands are actually houses of the current residents of the village. This village is home to 3000 people.
This place has over 1 million visitors every year. Many people in search of a real fairyland come to Giethoorn. This village has no roads hence no cars. Due to which there is no honking of cars, whisper boats are used here so the loudest noise to be heard will be the chirping of birds. Means of transportation are boats and hence, it is also called ‘Little Venice’ or ‘Venice of Netherlands’.
This village is about a 90-minute car ride from Amsterdam, after which vehicles need to be left outside the village. Even the locals park their vehicles at special car parks outside the village. One can rent a whisper boat or travel on foot on the beautiful, arched bridges. This is actually a splendid place for those who love to be with nature and away from the noise of cars. This place should be a must-visit to experience the splendours of fairyland on earth.
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