This spring I will be driving betw Amsterdam via Zwolle and to Giethoorn.
Are there any great sights along the way? I have allowed 2 days, 1 night for this portion of trip.
RS does not incl this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated. As I am in the final stage of completing my itinerary. Thx in advance.
Posted by
Elmwood, IL, USA
362 posts
Why Giethoorn? I have been traveling to the Netherlands for years (family Utrecht), in June I went to Giethoorn and family and their friends said WHY? I was curious as there was a number of day trippers going, tours from Amsterdam. What a huge disappointment! The locals said the town wanted tourist so it was marketed as such. A waste of time. So many other places of interest & beauty in the Netherlands. Staphorst would be better & recommended by family. One off the radar neat town I went to this past June was Oudewater. This small town is beautiful with a unique museum de heksenwaag 16th century witches weighhouse.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
I have the same doubts. Base yourself in one of the Hanseatic towns along the river IJssel. Besides Zwolle you have Kampen, Deventer, Doesburg and - my favourite - Zutphen, not to forget tiny Hasselt. The hinterland has an interesting collection of castles, like the ones in Vorden and Ruurlo.
On the way from Amsterdam you could do worse than have a stop in Amersfoort or visit the former royal palace Het Loo in otherwise boring Apeldoorn.