Hilversum airport - Hilversum

Hilversum Airport has a rich history starting in the 1930s, when the ‘t Gooi region dreamed of a sports airfield. After much deliberation, the first sod was put into the ground in 1937, as a job creation project in a time of economic crisis. The airport was to be festively opened in 1939, but mobilisation threw a spanner in the works. During World War II, the Germans took over the airfield and expanded it with bunkers, ammunition pits and military buildings. In the woods near Zonnestraal, they even built a casino for their officers. After the war, the airfield was restored and officially reopened by Prince Bernhard in 1947. The grass runways and original infrastructure were retained, so the airport still exudes the charm of that era.

Today, Hilversum Airfield is a lively centre for recreational aviation. It is used by gliding clubs, flying schools and parachutists, and hosts helicopter flights and aerial advertising companies. The grass runways provide a unique flying experience and make the field popular with pilots. For visitors, the airfield offers an insight into the aviation world and a historic atmosphere that can still be felt at this special location.