Giethoorn: The Dutch Village with No Roads

If you've ever lived in a big city, you'll know how loud and disruptive traffic can be.Residents of the small Dutch village of Giethoorn don't have that problem, because not only is there no traffic: there are no roads at all.

Giethoorn is a village in the Netherlands of around 2,800 people, and it's less than a two-hour drive from Amsterdam.It is 800 years old, and has never had roads during its long history.This is because Giethoorn has more than 88 kilometers of waterways, and 176 bridges made for pedestrians and cyclists.

Residents of Giethoorn can also travel around the village in boats.However, they are not allowed to use boats that have an engine, unless the engine does not produce very much noise.This is to protect the village's peace and quiet.

The name "Giethoorn" comes from the story of how the village was founded.Stories say that when Dutch farmers arrived in the area in the 13th century, they found the horns of goats that had died in a flood many years earlier.They named the village "Geytenhoren," which means "Goat horn," and over time this changed to "Giethoorn."

Despite being small, Giethoorn has made a big impact in one way.In 2015, the village was chosen to be included in the World Edition of Monopoly, which was created to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Parker Brothers buying the rights to the game.

The World Edition uses towns and cities instead of street names.For two places in the game, people could vote for anywhere in the world — and Giethoorn was one of the winners.