AMSTERDAM.- Rijksmuseum Schiphol opened today. Anyone flying in or out is welcome to stop off here to enjoy the artistic glories of the Dutch Golden Age. Ten paintings from the Rijksmuseum collection will be on show, with landscapes, seascapes, portraits and floral still lifes by Dutch masters such as Jan van Goyen, Willem van de Velde the Younger, Abraham Mignon and Michiel van Mierevelt. Travellers can view the paintings at any time, day or night, free of charge.

Rijksmuseum Schiphol is back
The Rijksmuseum is back on Holland Boulevard, the recently refurbished leisure zone between Lounge 2 and 3, past security at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. In 2002 the Rijksmuseum became the first art museum in the world to open a new branch at an airport. And Schiphol is currently the only airport in the world with a museum exhibiting original 17th-century art, right in the terminal building. Holland Boulevard is now also home to NEMO Science Museum, a library, as well as a relaxation area.

Open 24 hours a day free of charge
This S-shaped exhibition space with an area of 167 square metres was designed by NEXT architects, and Irma Boom designed the exhibition layout. The museum is open 24 hours a day, admission is free, and visitors can enter it from two sides. Souvenirs from the Rijksmuseum and other Dutch museums can be purchased in the adjacent shop.

Rembrandt and Vermeer on the baggage carousel
To mark the opening of Rijksmuseum Schiphol, travellers arriving in the Netherlands will be treated to the sight of great Dutch artworks when they come to pick up their luggage at baggage reclaim. From 5 September, all 73 metres of carousel 16 in Baggage Hall 3 will be adorned with images of 45 paintings, from the middle ages to modern times, by artists such as Geertgen Sint Jans, Jan Mostaert, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Vincent van Gogh, Gerrit Rietveld and Karel Appel.