What is unusual about the village of Giethoorn in the Netherlands?

Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk. Giethoorn is often referred to as 'Little Venice'.

The village was founded by a group of fugitives from the Mediterranean region around AD 1230. It became well known in 1958 when it was featured in the film Fanfare, made by Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra.

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. Located in the province of Overijssel, there are 4 miles of canals and farmhouses with thatched roofs dating back to the 18th century.

Giethoorn was a separate municipality until 1973, when it became part of Brederwiede. It is a very popular attraction among Chinese tourists. The village sees between 150,000 and 200,000 Chinese tourists every year. The village of Giethoorn fended off competition from some 182 contenders across the world to achieve a place on the board of the new international edition of Monopoly (the locals are very proud of this achievement).