The village canal
The main artery of the village, about 4.5 kilometres long and one-way for boats. This is where the farmhouses, terraces and bridges are.
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Village guide
Sights in Giethoorn
The village canal, the Binnenpad, more than 176 bridges, two old churches, three tjasker mills and Lake Bovenwijde. These are the things to see.
The village
Everything is on the water
The sights of Giethoorn are not separate attractions: the village itself is the sight. The village canal of about 4.5 kilometres, the bridges, the thatched farmhouses and the gardens together form a protected conservation area.
You see the most from the water. On foot, along the Binnenpad, you get closer. Do both if you have the time.
- Village canal: one-way traffic for boats
- Binnenpad: 4.3-kilometre footpath, free
- Lake Bovenwijde: the lake behind the village
Top 8
What to see
The Binnenpad
The 4.3-kilometre footpath along the canal, over the wooden bridges and past the thatched farmhouses. Free and always open.
The wooden bridges
More than 176 bridges link the small islands of the village. From the water you sail beneath them, on foot you walk across.
Zuidervermaning (1871)
The Mennonite church at Binnenpad 48/50, a national monument in the Dutch “Waterstaat” style with the only church tower in the village and an organ from 1911.
Protestant church (1645)
The oldest church building in Giethoorn, at Beulakerweg 80.
Three tjaskers
Small wooden peat mills that once moved the water. Three still stand in the village.
Wildeboer punt yard
Punts, the flat wooden boats of the village, have been built at Beulakerweg 48 since 1890.
Lake Bovenwijde
The lake right behind the village: open water, reed and space. Part of the boat routes of two hours and longer.
From the water or on foot?
With a rental boat you set your own pace: pause by a bridge, turn into a side canal, head out onto the lake. The navigation app shows the way and the routes take one to four hours. On the canal cruise the captain steers and your hands are free for the camera.
On foot you catch details you miss from the water: the gardens, the thatched roofs up close, the Zuidervermaning. The Binnenpad is flat but has many small bridges, so the village is only partly accessible with a wheelchair or pushchair. Read more on our accessibility page.
Giethoorn in pictures
Private tour with a captain
Your own boat with a captain who knows the village. Open boat from €80, covered and heated boat from €200.
Questions about the sights
What are the main sights in Giethoorn?
The village canal with its wooden bridges and thatched farmhouses, the Binnenpad, the Zuidervermaning church of 1871, the church of 1645, the tjasker mills, the Wildeboer punt yard and Lake Bovenwijde.
Can you see everything in one day?
Yes. A boat trip of two to three hours plus a walk along the Binnenpad covers nearly everything. Add a museum and you have a full day.
Is Giethoorn really car-free?
The heart of the village along the canal can only be reached on foot, by bike or by boat. Cars park on the edge of the village; with us parking is free at Zuiderpad 14A. See parking.
Can I take a rental boat onto Lake Bovenwijde?
Yes. The routes of two hours and longer go out onto the lake. Keep to the right on open water and give way to the cruise boats. See the boat routes.
Can I moor anywhere?
No, only at mooring spots and at the waterside terraces, never under a bridge or at private gardens. The mooring spots are marked in the navigation app.