On the Ds. T.O. Hylkemaweg in Giethoorn you will find the Henri Willig cheese shop, Grand Café Henri Willig with a waterside terrace, an ice cream parlour and the Henri Willig boat, all in one place.
In Giethoorn, Henri Willig has a cheese shop with its own restaurant next door, Grand Café Henri Willig. An ice cream parlour is in the same building, and the Henri Willig boat leaves from the Grand Café. This means you can fill a large part of your day in Giethoorn here.
At Henri Willig Giethoorn you can taste and buy cheese, have breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks by the water, eat a soft-serve ice cream and take a boat tour through the village and across the lake.
You book the boat tour online on the Henri Willig booking page. In the Grand Café you can book by phone, but you are also welcome without a reservation.
Cheese is at the heart of Grand Café Henri Willig. Henri Willig cheese is used in all kinds of ways, and the Grand Café works with organic and local ingredients wherever possible. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner here, or simply a drink.
Inside you sit in a warmly furnished café, outside on the spacious terrace overlooking the water. There is room for families and groups too: you can book a group lunch or drinks in advance. If you want to taste more cheese, you can combine your lunch or drinks with a cheese tasting. After your meal, you can walk straight into the shop next to the restaurant.
The Henri Willig boat leaves from the Grand Café and sails through the village and across the lake. Local skippers take you past canals, old farmhouses and little bridges and share facts and stories about Giethoorn along the way. The tour takes about an hour. Because the boat is covered and heated, you can also join in less pleasant weather.
The boat has room for 42 people, so you can join with a group, a family outing or a company outing. You book tickets online or buy them at the till of the Grand Café, as long as there is space. The boat tour can be given in Dutch, English and German.
During the boat tour you can have a Henri Willig cheese platter served. You order it together with your booking.
Next to the Grand Café are the cheese shop and, in the same building as the restaurant, the Henri Willig ice cream parlour.
In the shop you are welcomed by staff in traditional costume. They tell you how cheese is made in the traditional way. You will find the Henri Willig cheese specialities here, along with mustards, cheese dips and cheese accessories. You can taste all the cheeses in the shop.
The Henri Willig ice cream parlour is in the same building as the Grand Café and sells traditional soft-serve ice cream. You eat your ice cream on the terrace by the water, for example after lunch or after the boat tour.
At one location on the Ds. T.O. Hylkemaweg you will find a cheese shop, Grand Café Henri Willig, an ice cream parlour and the Henri Willig boat. You can taste and buy cheese, have breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink, eat a soft-serve ice cream and take a boat tour through the village and across the lake.
You book the boat tour online on the booking page at henriwillig.giethoorn.com. Tickets are also sold at the till of Grand Café Henri Willig, as long as there is space. Booking the boat tour by phone is not possible.
The boat tour takes about an hour and goes through the village and across the lake. A local skipper takes you past canals, farmhouses and little bridges and tells you about Giethoorn along the way. The boat is covered and heated.
Yes. During the boat tour you can have a Henri Willig cheese platter served. You order it together with your booking.
No. You can book by phone on 0521 78 53 96, but you are also welcome without a reservation. For a group lunch or drinks, it is best to book in advance.
The boat tour can be given in Dutch, English and German. If you would like another language, please call the Grand Café at least two weeks before your visit.
No, the boat is not suitable for wheelchairs. You step from the quay into the boat; anyone who has difficulty walking is helped. For deaf and hard-of-hearing guests, a written text is available if you ask the Grand Café at least two weeks in advance.
You can park behind the restaurant. By public transport, take bus 70 towards Zwolle from Steenwijk station and get off at the Ds. T.O. Hylkemaweg stop. From there it is still about 700 metres on foot.
