Have you ever wondered where the fairies might live if they have their pick of the world today? Have you ever wondered where you might live – what type of life you might lead – if the choice is based on lifestyle alone? If the hustle and bustle of city living is becoming a bitter pill to swallow and you find yourself dreaming of a simpler life, I have the perfect place for you!
Imagine Venice, minus the crowds. Imagine Stockholm, minus the modernity.
Enter: Giethoorn.
Pronounced “hit-horn”, the traditional Dutch village located 2 hours north-east of Amsterdam is, without a doubt, the floating utopia. The village is almost exclusively accessible via its intricate network of canals and bridges (4 miles and 180 plus of them, to be exact). Tourism seems to be the only modern influence here, and even then, its footprints have been limited to cafes and boat-for-hire stalls along the waterways.
During the Dutch summer, Giethoorn bursts into life with a riot of colours.
You park your worries exactly where you parked your car – right in the visitor car park on the edge of town. Gliding along the picturesque canal systems, passing cute arched bridges and idyllic thatched cottages, I could think of no better way to indulge in a cathartic afternoon. Could you?
SoMuchToTellYou 
This place is on my bucket list!!!
The place is an absolute fairy tale!! Well worth a visit. 😉
I love your thoughts, you blog is wonderful 🙂
Hi Arlene, thank you so much! Your encouragement means a lot! 😊🌸
Never heard of this place ’till now! Experiencing serious wanderlust right now!
Same, I’ve never heard of the place until I was in Netherlands and looking at day tours. It felt totally unreal! Glad it tickled your wanderlust.
So pretty and first time I hear of it. Thank you!
Thanks Manja, it was the first time I heard of it too… quite a hidden secret 🙂
Doesn’t seem real. It must be amazing to be there in the middle of the night when all the tourists are gone. Or maybe in the winter, if it gets cold enough.
I don’t know about the middle of the night… there are no streetlights wouldn’t it be spooky…? But in winter the canal freezes and people ice skate out there. 🙂
Wow.. Amazing pics 👌👌👌👌
Thank you Shrey. 🙂
Amazing place, my kind of place. Your pics are wonderful.
Thanks Regina, it is an enchanting little gem. Glad to hear it is your kind of place. I was afraid people would think I’m boring. 😉
What a fairy tale town! I love your photography!
Thanks Vy, it’s easy to lose yourself in such an environment. 🙂