Berkel en Rodenrijs is a town and former municipality in the municipality of Lansingerland, in the province of South Holland, The Netherlands. The town is very close to Rotterdam.

History

Berkel en Rodenrijs was founded in the twelfth century. Its character changed across the centuries. Prior to its development, the land consisted of peat soil, which was cultivated for the production of turf. This cultivation resulted in the appearance of moors. During the 18th century the moors were drained and agricultural use of polder land commenced. The years that followed resulted in significant changes to the town due to residential and commercial building developments. (source: Gemeente Lansingerland) In 1850 the town had a population count of 1,250, which by 1950 had expanded to 5,700. The municipality of Tempel was abolished in 1855 and added to Berkel en Rodenrijs. On 1 January 2007, the town was merged with neighbouring towns Bergschenhoek and Bleiswijk to form the new municipality of Lansingerland. In January 2008, the former municipality had a population of 22,626 (source: official municipality guide), and covered an area of 18.91 km2 of which 0.29 km2 is water. In 2016 plans were announced for Berkel Centrum West and construction started in April 2021. The plans included houses, supermarkets, retail establishments, restaurants and cultural establishments.

Public transport

Bus 170 runs along a new dedicated bus route through Lansingerland, known as the ZoRo bus ( Zoetermeer - Rotterdam ). This route goes from Zoetermeer Central Station to Rodenrijs Station.

Notable people

Born in Berkel en Rodenrijs

Lived in Berkel en Rodenrijs

Gallery