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There’s also plenty to discover outside of Giethoorn

Cycling holiday Giethoorn

Name: Happy Cycling Holidays
Address: Hengelosestraat 300a, Enschede, Nederland, 7521 AN
Telephone: +31 (0)53 430 34 35
Location: Happy Cycling Holidays

The “Venice of the North”
Giethoorn is just as popular as its Italian namesake. With its canals, thatched-roof farmhouses, and cozy cafés, Giethoorn is the perfect starting point for beautiful day trips. You cycle through the famous De Weerribben-Wieden National Park, pass through the picturesque village of Dwarsgracht on your way to Blokzijl, see dolmens along the route, and stop in water villages such as Dwarsgracht, Blauwe Hand, and Belt-Schutsloot. » read more about Cycling holiday Giethoorn

Hotel De Kruumte
Nature reserves: Uffelterzand, Holtingerveld, and Havelteberg
National Park De Weerribben-Wieden

GPS APP E-bike Zwaarte zwaarte_1

Cycling holiday
Centre based tour
5 days
Individual

from 310 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

from 310 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

Praise for Giethoorn

After cycling our five routes – maybe even earlier – you will be singing Giethoorn’s praises. That’s exactly what two rival orchestras did in the 1958 film Fanfare. To this day, it is, after Turkish Delight, the most-watched Dutch film of all time. The idyllic Giethoorn served as the film’s backdrop and became so famous that it attracts many visitors each year. And all of them climb into small boats to cruise the canals and bump into each other. Cycling, however, is the better choice – you can enjoy this amusing spectacle from the shore.

Plenty to Discover

There is also plenty to explore outside Giethoorn – and that sounds like music to the ears as well. For example, the charming, elongated village of Nijeveen, which you reach through moorlands. Or the truly impressive De Weerribben-Wieden National Park, the largest contiguous lowland peat bog area in Western Europe. A circular route takes you nearly the entire day through this beautiful natural area, while birds around you sing their sweetest songs.

Golden Age

On your tour to Zwartsluis, you will also pass through Blokzijl, a thriving trading town on the Zuiderzee during the Dutch Golden Age. From Jonen, take the ferry across the Walengracht and cycle back via the equally picturesque Dwarsgracht to – ta, ta, ta, ta – Giethoorn. Can you hear the fanfare yet? No? Then pop into Café Fanfare briefly. The banner of Kunst en Vriendschap, the brass band from the fictional film village Lagerwiede, still hangs there. Address: Binnenpad 68.

Giethoorn

Hilarious Giethoorn

Amused, you cycle through Giethoorn along its small, idyllic canals. On the water, tourists bustle about in their rented boats – a wonderfully chaotic scene. Then a loud cheer from one of the excursion boats: “Juhuu!” About twenty foreign visitors admire your skill on the super-narrow bike path. With waving hands, they hold up their cameras and smartphones – they just want to capture this typical Dutch scene.

De Wieden

De Wieden (10,000 hectares), together with De Weerribben, is one of the most remarkable peat bog areas in Europe. The region originated from peat extraction, which began in the 13th century. The remaining land – the so-called Legakkers and poor soils – was shaped by flooding, which created lakes. Lakes formed by peat extraction are called Wieden in this region. The best-known are the Beulaker, Belter, and Bovenwijde.

Here, the word Meer refers to a natural lake formed during the Ice Age, such as the Giethoornse or Duiniger Meer. On foot, by bike, or by boat, you can explore this vast nature area with its rich variety of water and marsh plants as well as numerous water birds. Since 2002, the formerly extinct otter has also been reintroduced into the area.

Weerribben-Wieden National Park

Trumpet Organ

In most Dutch churches, you’ll hear a classic pipe organ concert. In Havelte, it’s different. Every summer, the Chamadron sounds here: an organ, but a very special one. From the church’s sound holes, no less than fifty trumpets protrude. The overwhelming sound can even be heard 3.5 kilometers away.

The inventor of the trumpet organ, organ builder Cees Roubos, searched for a suitable church and found it in Havelte. When he plays the keyboard, the surrounding residents can share in the trumpet sound – fitting for the region where the film Fanfare (see Giethoorn box) made such a stir.

Dolmen

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Cycling holiday Giethoorn

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