I recently came across a story, complete with entrancing photos, on SlightlyWarped.com. “The Town with No Roads” captured my attention with its title and then I read on. The series, worth reading, from Slightly Warped is called “Curiosities” — and this curiosity is worth the intrigue. Giethoorn, Netherlands, is reminiscent of a fairytale. Tall trees and bushy shrubs are so well-placed alongside a quaint canal in this beautiful town that they seem to have been taken out of a Bob Ross painting. But the town’s aesthetic goes beyond tasteful landscaping, and that canal isn’t just for scenery. The village of Giethoorn does not contain roads. Citizens travel by boat through the interlocking canals, or by foot or bike. Located in the Dutch province of Overijssel, Giethoorn seems like a perfect place to escape to when in need of head-clearing.
10 things you probably didn’t know about Holland
While Holland is well known for its bright flowers, the canals of Amsterdam, and wooden shoes, there are still many surprises to discover about this region. To help expand your knowledge, here are some things you probably didn’t know about Holland.
1. Rotterdam is the only Dutch city with a true skyline. In fact, it is so impressive the area is known as “Manhattan on the Meuse.” In terms of architecture, Rotterdam has a superb reputation, making it no wonder that the Netherlands Architecture Institute was also founded here.
2. Holland is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Schokland, the D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station, Wadden Sea, the Defense Line of Amsterdam, the Beemster Polder, the Rietveld Schröder House, the Mills of Kinderdijk, and the canals of Amsterdam.
3. In the late 16th century, gin was invented under the name jenever in the Netherlands and was sold as medicine.
4. Dutch people are the tallest in the world with the men averaging 6 feet 1 inch and women 5 feet 6 and one half inches tall.
5. The Dutch love cheese. Annually, they consume about 32 pounds of it.
6. Holland has more museums than any other region in the world. In fact, Amsterdam alone is home to over 50 of them.
7. In Holland, it is common for families to hang a Dutch flag and school bag outside their homes when children pass their exams.
8. Almost every person, regardless of class or status in Holland, owns a bike and there is double the amount of bikes as cars.
9. While Holland is known for its tulips, they were originally brought from Turkey in the 16th century.
10. Once every ten years, one of the largest horticultural events in the world takes place in Holland, Floriade. Luckily, the event will be taking place this year from April 5 to October 7 in Venlo.
For a more visual idea of Holland’s unique culture, check out the gallery below.
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New Amsterdam hotel opens in former music conservatorium
One of our favorite spaces for hotels? Old buildings. News broke last week that Washington DC’s former Post Office Building will become a new Trump Hotel, and today we bring you Amsterdam‘s premier music conservatorium, recently re-launched as the aptly-named Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam, Design Hotels™ newest member property.
The hotel mixes old and new in a layering of of classic and contemporary, with new additions such as a glass-covered atrium and exposed beams.
The property, which is part of the new luxury hotel collection The Set, pays tribute to the Amsterdam Conservatorium’s legacy by playing soothing classical music selections throughout the hotel. Whimsical names such as the “Tunes Restaurant” pay homage to the building’s musical past.
The hotel’s 129 rooms and suites provide a respite for the weary while an Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Center serves as a spa.
Check out the gallery, below:
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Video: Skating the canals of Amsterdam
The cold snap that has brought much of Europe to a stand-still this winter has invigorated the Dutch. For the first time in more than a decade, the canals in Amsterdam have frozen solid, creating a network of rinks between the city’s iconic, gabled canal houses.
The above video captures the beauty of central Amsterdam as well as the warm, festive spirit of its residents. Watch as Amsterdammers play hockey, speed race along the icy ribbons, duck under stone bridges, balance on skates while walking on top of the cobblestones, and fill up on coffee, tea, and laughter. Leave it to the Dutch to make the best of whatever weather is dealt them.
VIDEO: Visit a guinea pig village in Holland
If you prefer cute and cuddly animals to the Big Five on safari, you may want to consider a trip to the Netherlands. VICE’s Cute Show takes a look this week at a guinea pig village in Holland, where the hairy rodents go to “retire” when their owners can no longer look after them. You can adopt a guinea pig or just visit them (I’m partial to the scrappy and long-haired Droopy).
The guinea pig village is located in Bakkeveen, about 2 hours northeast of Amsterdam. It’s open Wednesdays and Saturdays to the public, more info available here. Guinea pigs not your thing? Watch the Cute Show visit baby sloths in Costa Rica.