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Dutch Fairy Tale Water Town · Giethoorn

If you think Amsterdam is crowded, this hidden fairy tale town on the water—Giethoorn—will definitely leave you speechless with amazement! 🥹 ------ 【How to Play? The Soul is on the Water!】 1 Renting a boat to drive yourself is the way to go! Be sure to rent an electric boat (super quiet, won’t disturb the swans)! Exploring the winding canals by yourself is the proper way to experience Giethoorn. There are many boat rental companies; we recommend “Zwaantje” or “’t Zwaantje” for clear routes and new boats. 💰 Price: About €20-30/hour (fits 4-6 people), renting for 2-3 hours is enough to tour the core area. ⚠️ Drive carefully! Don’t crash into bridges or other people’s gardens! 2 Walking + Biking to unlock hidden photo spots Park your boat and go ashore for a walk. Countless cute wooden bridges are perfect for taking stunning photos! Rent a bike and ride along the riverbank; you’ll discover beautiful corners that most tourists can’t reach. ------ 【What to See? Let Your Eyes Vacation!】 ✅ Reed-thatched cottages: Once homes for the poor, now more expensive than brick houses! Each one looks like it came straight out of an Andersen fairy tale, with exquisitely maintained courtyards. ✅ Countless small bridges: Over 180! Many are private, making you feel like an explorer. ✅ Countryside and pastures: The village outskirts are vast meadows with cows and sheep, picturesque and super soothing. ------ 【Practical Info Box】 📍 Address: Giethoorn, Netherlands 🚆 How to get there: Take the train from Amsterdam Central Station → Steenwijk Station (about 1.5 hours) → transfer to bus 70 → get off at Dominee Hylkemaweg stop! Very convenient, just use your OV card. 🕒 Best time to visit: 🌟 April to September is the best season, with good weather and blooming flowers. 🌟 Be sure to arrive early! We got there at 10 AM when there were fewer people and more boats; after noon, the canals get as busy as “traffic jams.” 🍴 What to eat: There are many riverside restaurants in the village where you can try Dutch pancakes. Or bring some snacks and have a picnic on the boat—it’s a great vibe! ------ 【Random Tips】 Be sure to apply sunscreen well; UV rays are strong on the water! Respect the local residents; those beautiful houses are people’s homes, so don’t intrude to take photos. If you want to experience ultimate tranquility, consider staying overnight in the village—the morning mist and bird songs are amazing! In short, Giethoorn is a place where time slows down. Bring your favorite person and be the main character in this fairy tale world for a day! 💖

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Posted: Oct 17, 2025

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✅Netherlands 🇳🇱 📍Amsterdam, Giethoorn, Zaanse Schans 1. People in this city love cycling and are incredibly skilled. Streets and alleyways have dedicated lanes, so be mindful of oncoming traffic when crossing the street, especially in the large area in front of Central Station. Pedestrians, bicycles, and trams all have their own dedicated lanes, so be careful to avoid crossing the wrong way. 2. Traffic lights in Amsterdam go red incredibly quickly. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Plus, the rapid, click-click-click sound means that if you're standing in front of the light and trying to cross, you'll definitely not have enough time to cross. Many times, I've seen the light turn green and tried to follow it, but it was too late and I had to wait for the next one. 3. The canal cruises in Amsterdam are truly amazing, but remember to choose the ones without roofs. I made the mistake of choosing a roofed one on my first day, and it was incredibly difficult to take photos. The advantage was that it sheltered me from the rain, but it was difficult to capture photos. The next day, I decided to take another canal cruise, opting for a roofless one. The boats were about the size of small boats that could accommodate up to 20 people. The price seemed to be around 23-25 euros. It's very convenient to pay as you go, and there are many options. This type of cruise is perfect for taking beautiful photos. Because I was afraid of the heat, I chose to go at 7:45 pm, when the sun was shining but not too hot, which made for beautiful photos. The boat rides are all one-hour long, and I highly recommend it—after all, this is a city built around canals. 4. Amsterdam charges a city tax on accommodations. You pay it when you check in, and it's 12% of the price of your stay. The more expensive your stay, the higher the tax. Since I had already paid for my accommodation, I only had to pay the city tax upon check-in. I paid 30.50 euros (for a three-night stay). I thought it was so expensive, considering it was only around 6-7 euros a night in Switzerland. I even confirmed with the staff if it was the city tax, and they said yes! I later checked online and found that city taxes in this country are calculated using a percentage. So, consider the price of your accommodation accordingly. 5. Giethoorn was my most anticipated stop in the Netherlands. I'd heard so much about its beauty. I also joined a local tour that day, which included hotel pickup and drop-off. We visited Giethoorn in the morning and the windmill village in the afternoon. We had lunch at a restaurant at the entrance to Giethoorn. The tour guide said that transportation to this area is difficult unless you drive, so joining a day tour is the most convenient. 6. The weather wasn't great when we arrived in Giethoorn that morning. Our guide, who also served as the boat driver, spoke with the cooperating operator before we boarded the boat. It was a light rain at first, but it was still beautiful. We also had group members take over the boating. We had to seize the opportunity to take photos, especially with a beautiful background. Everyone helped each other take photos, and be careful not to drop your phone. The hydrangeas were in bloom in July, and they were absolutely stunning. This is seasonal, so after that, Giethoorn would be just like any other village. After all, the flowers are truly stunning. 7. Towards the end of the trip, the weather cleared up, and the whole experience was absolutely stunning. We left early to sail, so we didn't have to worry about traffic. If we had sailed closer to noon, the river would have been clogged with boats, but when the weather cleared, it became incredibly beautiful. Afterwards, we had time to hike around Giethoorn, take photos, buy souvenirs, eat ice cream, and keep taking photos. It was a perfect time. 8. We went to the windmill village in the afternoon. It was quite crowded, but the village felt quite rural and spacious, so taking photos wasn't too difficult and would have been a nice souvenir, but we didn't pay to go inside the windmills. You can walk around the area and buy souvenirs from many shops. We even saw wooden shoes being made and tried cheese—quite a diverse selection. 9. And then... I encountered a pickpocket in the windmill village!!!! 😟😟😟 This was my first time encountering a pickpocket in Europe. Since the local tour group that day included young people around my age, we naturally joined in, helping take photos and chatting happily along the way. So, walking across the small bridge in the windmill village, it had just rained, so it was a bit crowded. Initially, my heel got stepped on (because it was so crowded, I figured I'd wipe it off after returning). 10. I was chatting with the young man, and a few seconds later, I heard the zipper of my backpack being unzipped (a very distinct sound, a swish). I immediately turned around and swung my bag forward. I yelled at him, "What are you doing?" The man behind me (from my photo, he was a white man, younger, maybe around 30), started playing dumb and pretending to drop something and looking for it. I asked him why he was pulling on my bag, but he feigned confusion and kept pretending to drop something. So I quickly checked my bag. Nothing was stolen. I noticed it within a split second of being unzipped, and since I had a thin jacket on top, my more important belongings were at the bottom, practically out of reach. So everyone should always be mindful of their belongings. It's true that walking with friends and chatting happily is the easiest way to be targeted, while being alone is less likely to be targeted. It was a close call, and I was definitely more careful on subsequent trips. In short, everyone should always be mindful of their belongings. 11. I stayed near Amsterdam Zuid Station. I highly recommend staying here. 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