Steenwijk
Fortified town with Museum Villa Rams Woerthe, an Art Nouveau villa that also shows work by sculptor Hildo Krop.
Route by public transport ↗
A village where the canal is the street.
In Giethoorn you get from house to house across the water or over one of its many little bridges. Thatched farmhouses line narrow channels. Around them lies one of the largest wetlands in north-west Europe.
Giethoorn was made by peat. For centuries farmers dug it out and carried it away along canals they cut themselves, creating the waterways and lakes you see today. Museum Giethoorn 't Olde Maat Uus tells that story inside a real Giethoorn farmhouse. Take the train to Steenwijk, approx. 25 minutes from Zwolle, then the bus to the village. Start early, hire a whisper boat and save the afternoon for a walk along the Binnenpad.
One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.
Six places to complete your museum day.
Hire a whisper boat, canoe or punt and glide past the gardens and bridges at your own pace.
A farmhouse, a fisherman's cottage and a boathouse tell the story of peat cutting and village life. Audio tour in English included.
A surprising collection of rocks, minerals and fossils in the middle of the water village.
The narrow path behind the houses is the quietest way to see the village. Look out for the humpback farmhouses, whose barns are bigger than the homes in front.
Reed beds, peat ponds and bird hides. Explore by bike, on foot or by boat.
Potters and other makers work along the Dorpsgracht. Step inside and take something home.
Giethoorn lies in the north-west corner of Overijssel. Old towns and a Hanseatic city are close by.
Fortified town with Museum Villa Rams Woerthe, an Art Nouveau villa that also shows work by sculptor Hildo Krop.
Route by public transport ↗A small harbour town with a lock, old merchants' houses and a lively quay.
Route by public transport ↗Hanseatic city with Museum de Fundatie and a medieval centre ringed by canals.
Route by public transport ↗Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.
Giethoorn has hotels, B&Bs and holiday cottages for every budget, many right on the water. If you prefer a town, choose Steenwijk, a short bus ride away and on the railway. From Giethoorn, Blokzijl, Steenwijk and Zwolle are easy to reach. In the evening, once the tour boats are moored, the village is at its best.
Restaurants, shops and hotels near the museums, picked for museum visitors.