Discover Schiphol-Rijk

Business Park Oude Meer includes a logistics and airport-related business area. Fokkerweg, Bellsingel, Koolhovenlaan, Cessnalaan, Douglassingel and Capronilaan are part of this business park. The street names also reflect the area’s connection to aviation: streets in Schiphol-Rijk are named after aircraft manufacturers; Fokkerweg, Bellsingel and Koolhovenlaan are examples. Schiphol-Rijk also borders the former factory site of aircraft manufacturer Fokker. The Hilton airport hotel serves as a landmark for Schiphol-Rijk. Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol features a distinctive three-layer diamond-shaped tile pattern and diamond-shaped windows.

Cycling around the airport

On the official cycling route around the airport, you reach Schiphol-Rijk after following the cycle path alongside the runway lighting of the Aalsmeerbaan. The route then continues along the Ringvaart to Fort bij Aalsmeer. From Aalsmeerderdijk, you can cycle to the fort via Liniepad and discover other hidden highlights along the route. The historic Geniedijk is 11 km long and part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. Different landmarks can help you choose your route: the airport route passes through Schiphol-Rijk and continues along the Ringvaart to the fort; the Liniepad connection leads from Aalsmeerderdijk to the fort. Check the route details before setting off.

Fort bij Aalsmeer and aviation history

Nearby Fort bij Aalsmeer is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. In 1916, the fort became the base of the military airfield at Schiphol, the forerunner of Schiphol Airport. The fort’s history thus links the defensive complex with an early phase in the airport’s development. The CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetsmuseum '40-'45 is located inside the fort; it is near Rijsenhout and Aalsmeerderbrug. The museum displays parts of a Fokker D.XXI shot down by the German occupying forces. The connection to Fokker can be seen in three different places in the area: at Fokkerweg, at the former factory site next to Schiphol-Rijk, and in the aircraft parts at the museum.

From the village of Rijk to the airport landscape

The name Schiphol-Rijk comes from the former village of Rijk. It disappeared in the 1950s to make way for Schiphol-Centrum; the demolition took place in 1959 to allow Schiphol to expand. Another historical trace can be found at the airport: the roof of the nearby bus station is made from an old aircraft hangar dating from the Second World War. While the fort became the base of the military airfield in 1916, the hangar dates from a later period in aviation history and now serves as a bus station roof.

The area’s history spans different periods and connections: the fort’s military use from 1916, the aircraft hangar from the Second World War, and the disappearance of the village of Rijk in the 1950s. Together with the cycling route, the Fokker connection and the historic sites, Schiphol-Rijk offers a range of ways to shape your stay around the subjects that interest you.

Discover more destinations: Schiphol, Vijfhuizen, Zwanenburg, Hoofddorp, Badhoevedorp, Nieuw-Vennep, Lijnden, Halfweg

For the main travel overview: Haarlemmermeer.