Giethoorn, “the Venice of Holland”

 

For anyone dreaming of a simple life, you may want to consider moving to a rural village in the northwest corner of the province of Overijssel, Giethoorn, Netherlands.

Giethoorn, also known as “the Venice of Holland” or the “Venice of the North”, is a beautiful village is and wonderful place to spend a couple of hours. It’s a lot smaller, less crowded and doesn’t have the rich history of the real Venice, but if you enjoy long, peaceful boat rides while admiring classic Dutch sceneries, Giethoorn will make a great impression on you.
This idyllic village has no roads, and the only access is by water over the many beautiful canals or on foot over its wooden arch bridges. The locals use punters to get around and cars have to remain outside the village.

Giethoorn is located at the edge of a national park (Weerribben-Wieden), a beautiful area.
The village Giethoorn is home to less than 3000 people, most of them live on their private islands. The around 180 bridges are the only way to reach many houses, other than by boat that is.
It's no surprise Giethoorn is a popular tourist attraction and has been given the nickname the Venice of the Netherlands. Cycling and sailing as well as a guided canal tour are some of the many ways to discover its rustic charm.

Located in the center of the Netherlands, right in the middle of the De Wieden nature reserve, the small village of Giethoorn was in 1230, by a group of fugitives from the Mediterranean region around AD 1230. When they arrived in the area the first thing they noticed was a large mass of goat horns, left over after a flood ravaged the area a few years earlier. They initially named their settlement Geytenoorn (geit = goat), but the dialect suffered some changes over the years and it is now known as Giethoorn.

It became well known in 1958 when it was featured in the film Fanfare, made by Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra.

In winter Giethoorn is a very popular destination for ice skaters. During my last years in Holland I lived close to Giethoorn and in cold enough winters I was among the thousands who would go to Giethoorn to ice skate on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Informations (brochures) about Giethoorn and surroundings you can inform at the Tourist Information office VVV at 0031-521-362124. Unfortunately the tourist office has no information brochures available in English. Pleas contact the above mentioned telephone number for informations about hotel addresses. For RESERVATIONS guided canaltours or rent a boat info@zwaantje.nl

For more information visit:
http://www.zwaantje.nl/uk.giethoorn.html 

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Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov nowdays belongs to the most attractive cities amongst the visitors - mainly due to its unique character and its preserved hisotry. It is famous for its Old Town, with 300 protected medieval buildings, and its castle complex, the second largest in the Czech Republic.
This small picturesque city is situated on the banks of the Vltava River (Moldau in German) in Southern Bohemia and is about a 2 hour drive from Prague. The town was built around a 13th century castle with gothic, renaissance and baroque elements. Despite the passage of time, the town together with chateau complex has retained its exemplary mediaeval character for more than five centuries.

The town Cesky Krumlov is dominated by two grate landmarks: the chateau complex, which was included to the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Monuments in 1992, and the gothic Church of St.Vitus. Cesky Krumlov chateau complex is one of the largest in Central Europe. Complex is composed of more than forty historical buildings, a cylindrical tower reconstructed in its preset form in the 16th century, unique Baroque theatre with original equipment and fittings. Under the Castle Complex lies the old town with its winding alleys and venerable Gothic and Renaissance houses, many galleries, little shops and inns.

The International Music Festival in Český Krumlov has an extensive tradition starting from 1992. Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic said about this festival: “This Festival has been for a long time a well established event, which far exceeds the borders of Český Krumlov. Today, it is considered an event of national importance. I have had the chance to visit many of the concerts and I must say that that last year´s opening concert was the most impressive - thanks to its repertoire and excellent performances.

I have a soft spot for the International Music Festival Český Krumlov and if I didn’t visit, many people would be disappointed. And I wouldn´t like to do that.”

One of the three Prizes in Category Conservation has been awarded to the conservation of the Southern facade of Horní Hrad (Upper Castle) of the Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau in the Czech Republic, European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2008. This project estabilishes new standards of Czech monument care and is appreciated as an excellent example of a respectful approarch to conservation in Europe.

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Leverkusen, Germany

 

Leverkusen, city, North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), west-central Germany. It lies on the Rhine River at the mouth of the Wupper River, in the Dhünn valley, just north of Cologne.

Formed on 1.4.1930 by the union of the town of Wiesdorf, the communities of Schlebusch, Steinbüchel and Rheindorf, it is well served by highway and rail and is the headquarters of the pharmaceutical firm Bayer. In 1975 the regional reorganisation took place and by union with the district town of Opladen (with Lützenkirchen, Quettingen, Rheindorf, Alkenrath, Bürrig, Küppersteg, Manfort), the town of Bergisch Neukirchen and Hitdorf, a former part of Monheim. Other economic activities include metal plating and the manufacture of machinery and textiles. Morsbroich Castle houses a museum of modern art and is used for plays and concerts. There are numerous parks and open spaces. Pop. (2003 est.) 161,543.

Leverkusen is well connected with the airports of Desseldorf and Cologne. Thus it is very easy top reach the city and the good networks or railway and roads make it even easier.

By its twin towns it is connected with Oulu, Finnland (since 1968), Bracknell, England (since 1973/74), Ljubljana, Slowenien (since 1979), Nazareth Illit, Israel (since 1980), Chi-nandega, Nicaragua (since 1986), Schwedt, Federal Republic of Germany (since 1989), Villeneuve d’Ascq, Frankreich (since 2001), Ratibor/Racibórz, Polen (since 2002) and it is in loose contact with Wuxi, China. 

 If you are interested in art, history, architecture, botany, environmental questions or in the carnival, there are some interesting places:

The baroque Morsbroich Museum in Alkenrath, buiilt the 18th century on the ruins of a moted castle of the 13th century, where you find an international collection of modern art. Here numerous worthy exhibitions held on literature and art that attract considerable visitors.

The Colony Museum or the Museum of Industry is excellent places to get a taste of the culture and lifestyle of Leverkusen, Germany. 

Near by the Chapel St. Gezelin is situated with its healing water, as people believe.

The fabulous Water Tower allows tourists to enjoy the breathtaking view of the entire city from its heights. 

Once a year an European day is celebrated and all the different clubs of foreigners, living in town, present themselves, here concerts take place and here you find a nice restaurant.

The other must-see places in Leverkusen are Recovery House, a Museum of Industry in the Kuhlmannsche Sensenfabrik in Schlebusch, or the Villa Wuppermann, built in the 19th century in the style of an Swiss country house, a citizens meetingplace. The history of town is presented in the Villa Römer, former residential building of a factory owner, in Opladen.

The Stadium BayArena is a place that throbs with life and gets filled with football lovers from various parts of the world. 

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