Electric boat along the Dorpsgracht and Lake Bovenwijde

What it is

Giethoorn was made to be explored by boat: for centuries peat, hay and people moved along the canals, and the houses face the water. Today the normal thing is to hire a fluisterboot, a silent electric boat that needs no licence, and sail it yourself. It goes at about 5 km/h, is steered with a lever and a rudder, and at the jetty they explain in a few minutes how to handle it and the safety rules.

The classic route follows the Dorpsgracht, the canal that runs through the old centre from north to south, between reed-thatched houses, gardens and more than 170 bridges, almost all private. Then you head out onto the southern lakes, the Bovenwijde and the Zuideindigerwijde, which formed in the floods of 1775, 1776 and 1825 on land dug out by peat extraction. On the Bovenwijde there is an island, 't Eilandje, where boats stop and there is a bathing area.

Who hires them out and how much it costs

There are many boat hire businesses in the village. Two with published prices:

• Grachthof Giethoorn, at Binnenpad 54, beside the canal in the centre: a small fluisterboot for 5 people from €20 an hour and a large one for 7 from €25. It also hires out sloepen and canoes. No deposit is required, dogs are allowed on board and there is free parking for customers (P2). You are given a map with colour-coded routes and their durations. It is currently open from 10:30 to 21:00 and closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays; confirm when you book.
• Smit Giethoorn, at Zuiderpad 58, in the southern part of the village: a fluisterboot for 8 from €20 an hour, a deluxe fluisterboot for 5 from €25, an electric sloep for 6 from €30 and a deluxe sloep for 8 from €35. Its routes on the map range from 2 to 5 hours. It has free parking and is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 20:00 and Friday to Sunday from 9:00 to 21:00. It also organises guided boat trips from €12.50 per person.

The fluisterboot is an open boat; the sloep is more stable and some have a roof, so it is better if you want to go out onto the lakes or if rain is threatening. Book online on each company's website to secure a time, especially on spring and summer weekends.

How long and which route

In an hour and a half or two hours you cover the whole Dorpsgracht and peek out onto a lake. With three hours or more you can cross the Bovenwijde, stop at the island and come back along quieter canals. Look at the map you are given: each operator marks routes with an estimated time, calculated sailing slowly through the village and a little faster on the lakes.

When to go

Set off early or late. Giethoorn receives between one and one and a half million visitors a year, and in season, at midday, the Dorpsgracht fills up with boats crossing and brushing against each other. Smit Giethoorn advises it too: get up early or go out late. Spring and September, on weekdays, are the most pleasant times. On the lakes you notice the wind; if it blows hard, stay on the canals.

Rules and safety

The gardens, jetties and bridges belong to the residents: do not moor where it is not allowed and do not step onto private plots. Give way calmly and do not throw anything into the water. With small children, ask for life jackets in their size and make sure they do not lean over the side in the narrow canals. If you have an afternoon to spare, walk round the village first along the Dorpsgracht footpath to decide where to sail.

How to get there

You cannot drive into the old centre: leave the car in the car parks at the entrance or at your operator's. By public transport, take a train to Steenwijk and the bus 70 or Giethoorn Express to the Dominee Hylkemaweg stop. There is a summary of the hire businesses under boat hire. For a meal by the water when you get back, Grachthof and Smit have terraces over the canal.