This has been quite a year. Nothing about 2020 has really gone as expected, and sometimes we’ve felt like we were living in a thriller. We’d rather be living in a world that’s a little bit more magical. If you can relate, you might not just be dreaming of life getting back to “normal.” You might be dreaming of your next vacation.

Maybe you want to go somewhere tropical to escape the winter. Maybe you want to go somewhere cold to enjoy the slopes. Maybe you want to go somewhere that looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale.

Many fairytalesque locations have become touristy over the years which takes away a little bit of their charm. For example, we’re not knocking Venice; the canals are certainly unique, but it’s not a very original destination.

If you really want to visit someplace that looks like it belongs in a fairytale, check out Giethoorn in the Netherlands. Giethoorn means “goat horn.” We know; that doesn’t sound very magical, but trust us, it is.

Giethoorn is known as the “Dutch Venice” because of its canals, but unlike Venice, it is not loud or crowded. In fact, the noisiest thing you’re likely to hear is a duck quacking.

Many of the thatched roof houses in Giethoorn are only reachable by canal. Even the mailman travels by boat.

Geithoorn offers tours and cruises via boat, but if you’d like to go exploring on your own, you can rent a boat or a canoe. There are also many bridges and footpaths that connect the series of islands. Guests can rent bicycles or motorbikes to go exploring the town on these paths, stopping at shops and cafes along the way.

The village even has several museums you can explore, including one that specializes in old cars and another one full of fossils and minerals. A third museum takes you back in time where you can explore a farmhouse the way it looked a century ago.

Even your hotel will look like a fairytale. There are options ranging from bed and breakfasts to hotels and even a bed-on-a-boat that includes picturesque lake views.

In order to get to Geithoorn, you’ll need to fly into Amsterdam and rent a car or take the train. It takes about 90 minutes to drive to the village, or 2 hours by train.

If you’re looking for a magical place to rest, recharge and let your imagination take over, we can’t think of a better destination that Geithoorn. It’s definitely going on our bucket list.