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Breda is a city in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It has a long history as a military stronghold and army base. Still today, important parts of the Dutch military still reside here. The military character is still at the heart of town, as the national Dutch Military Academy resides in the historic Castle of Breda, right in the centre of the old town.

In summer, outdoor café terraces on the Grote Markt quickly fill up.

Get in

By plane

Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM IATA) is 6km north of Rotterdam and 60km north of Breda.

Eindhoven Airport (EIN IATA) is 55km southeast of Breda. Ryanair and Wizzair operate flights to/from this airport.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS IATA) is 110km north of Breda and has more flights than the Rotterdam airport. From the airport, NS Dutch Railways operates frequent Intercity Direct high-speed rail service, every 30 minutes to Breda. The journey takes 1 hour and costs €18.50 one-way.

Brussels Airport (BRU IATA) is 96km south of Breda. Many international carriers operate flights to/from this airport. The train from Brussels takes about 90 minutes and costs €27.

By train

NS Dutch Railways operates trains operate between Breda and most cities in the Netherlands and neighboring countries.

By car

From Amsterdam, Breda can be reached by taking the A2 to Utrecht and then the A27. Breda is less than a 90 minute drive from the three main ferry ports in Holland. From Rotterdam, Breda can be reached by taking the A16 to Breda, which will take about 30 to 40 minutes.

By boat

P&O Ferries operates overnight ferry service between Hull, England and Rotterdam, the nearest port to Breda. The journey takes 12 hours.

Get around

The city centre and most of the sights are easy to discover on foot. Alternatively, biking is a good option, and bikes can be rented at the train station bike parking. The city bus is another option, circling through town.

See

The Begijnhof is a peaceful place, much like it was 100 years ago.

Some of Breda's medieval buildings have been demolished in the past, but much remains. On the Grote Markt, the city's main square, you can find the Church of Our Lady (Grote kerk or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), in Brabantine Gothic style, and the 18th century city hall. The Castle of Breda, also in the centre, originates in the 14th century and was substantially renewed in Renaissance style around 1540. Unfortunately, the castle is not available for visitors as it is home to the Military Academy since 1826, but of course it can still be admired from the outside.

  • Begijnhof, Entrance is at the Catharinastraat. Daily 9AM-6PM. Even though it lies right in the middle of the bustling city centre, much of the historic peace and tranquillity remains in this former Béguinage. Today, although no beguines remain, the small houses around the charming courtyard are still inhabited by single ladies. There's a herb garden and a small museum at nr. 29, which is a side branch of the much larger Breda's Museum. €1 for the museum.

Museums

The city has a number of museums worth noting.

Graphic Design Museum
  • 1 Breda's Museum, Chassépark, Parade 12, Breda, +31 76 529 93 00, . Tue-Sun 11:30AM-5PM. The collection here focuses on local art and history. Apart from various modern and classic art works, it has a number of interesting models of the castle and battle ships, as well as weapons and drawings. €7, children and young people free.
  • 2 Generaal Maczek Museum, De la Reijweg 95, Breda, +31 76 527 40 89. This museum is dedicated to the 1st Polish Armoured Division, which under the leadership of General Stanislaw Maczek liberated important areas of the Netherlands in 1944 and 1945. (Military area; identification is required.)
  • 3 MOTI, Boschstraat 22, Breda, +31 76 529 99 00. Tue-Sun 10AM-17PM. MOTI, Museum of the Image, is the museum of visual culture. It is the only museum that focuses exclusively on visual culture and development of visual culture. €7,50, children age 4 and below free.
  • 6 Bier Reclame Museum, Haagweg 375, Breda, +31 76 522 09 75. Sun 11AM-23PM. This museum shows a permanent exhibition of mainly enamel signs (+/- 1000 pieces) and antique posters of old beer adverts. It is said to be the largest collection in The Netherlands or perhaps in Europe.

Do

  • Get a guided tour through the old moats of Breda. There's plenty of stories behind the historic façades. Book ahead via the tourist office. Alternatively, they sell a Dutch language booklet called "Historische Kilometer", which (if you can understand it) allows you to walk around yourself and still read up on the historic backgrounds.
  • Visit the old neighbourhood Zandberg and Ginneken, just south of the Wilhelminastraat. It has lots of old merchants' houses and on the south end you will find the Mastbos, one of the nicest forests in the Netherlands.
  • Rent a canoe and make your own way through the Breda canals. On Saturday and Sunday you can rent one from the starting point at Spanjaardsgat without reservation. For other days, reservations are required and bookable via the tourist office or via the Beleef Breda website
  • Head out for a picnic in Park Valkenberg, a large and pleasant park halfway between the trainstation and the Grote Markts.

Buy

Breda is a well known shopping city in the Netherlands. In the old city centre you can find lots of clothing shops. You should visit the Wilhelminastraat. It is located just south of the city centre and hosts lots of exclusive shops. It has a very rich and nice atmosphere

Eat

There's a wide choice of restaurants available throughout the centre. The best places to search are around the historic market squares: the Grote Markt, the Havermarkt and the Veemarktstraat all have a number of nice establishments. Some good options are:

  • De 3 Vrienden, St. Janstraat 4, +31 76-5335880. 17-22h. Small but busy restaurant. They don't take credit cards. Rather than "starters" and "main courses", they have portions which are somewhere in between, for €8.50 each.
  • Zuyd, Ginnekenweg 35, +31 76-51 51 340, . noon-2:30PM, 6PM-10PM. Closed Sun&Mon. Call ahead, as this ambitious place gets raving reviews and is regularly booked full. It offers fine dining French cuisine in a modern restaurant. The service is good too. Menu's start at €36,50, but if you're out for a splurge, try the 7 course tasting for €67.50. Mains from €26.50.
  • Smaak en Beleving, Van Voorst tot Voorststraat 44, +31 76 5718099. The food in this small place is better than you might expect from its looks, and the portions are large. The dishes are simple but fresh and very tasty. They do take away too, so expect people to come in and out for that. With 3 course menus for €24.50, this is great quality for money though.
  • Breda Bistro, Grote Markt 17, +31 76-5214306. 08.00-17.00h. A small place where you can find the real French dishes for breakfast and lunch and where everything is fresh. The service is also very kind and helpfull.
  • Het Smaakwarenhuis, Ginnekenweg 11-13, +31 76 762 01 74. Closed Sun&Mon. This place is an interesting combination of a fresh food supermarket and a small restaurant. Virtually all products are produced in or directly around the Netherlands, and many in the region. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, often with a typical Dutch twist. Dinner is a set 3, 4 or 5 course meal with only a few choices. A fun place to discover Dutch produce. Breakfast around €5, from €32.50 for 3 course dinner.
  • Restaurant Chocolat, Torenstraat 9.
  • Restaurant Huispizzeria, Grote Markt 35, 076 - 5143900, . For the best authentic Italian style dishes. The service is very good and it's very cozy inside. They have something for everyone and every week they have a week special.
  • Restaurant Dickens & Jones, Grote Markt 40.
  • Restaurant Flinstering, Grote Markt 23.

Drink

Havermarkt
  • Drink real Belgian and Brabants beer on Grote Markt or Havermarkt square.
  • Explore the nightlife on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays around Havermarkt square.

Sleep

  • Youth Hostel Breda, Stationsplein 1, +31 76 520 57 14, . The Breda Youth Hostel is right next to the train station. Especially for solo travellers, this is a good option when travelling on a budget. €25 for a dorm bed, singles/doubles from €40/€60.
  • Hotel Sutor, Catharinastraat 2, +31 76-5322393. In the centre of town, in the lively bar district, which can cause some noise at night. For the rest, rooms are simple but good. There's no elevator, so you'll need to carry you luggage up the stairs.
  • Hotel Merlinde, Schorsmolenstraat 6, +31 76 751 30 00. A bit on the edge of the centre, this 4 star hotel is quiet and offers free parking. They specialise in hotel stays with health care options, making it perfect for senior or care dependent travellers, although regular guests are just as welcome. From €130 for a double, care is extra.
  • Golden Tulip Keyser Breda, Keizerstraat 5. Good quality hotel with friendly staff and spacious rooms. It's just outside the city centre but still at easy walking distance. There's no private parking, so if you come by car, you'll need to park for a fee at one of the public parkings. €140 for a double.

Go next

Some nearby destinations of interest are:

  • Tilburg, student city famous for its 10 day long fun fair in July, which is the largest in the Benelux.
  • Kaatsheuvel, equally famous for fun, as it is home to the Efteling theme parc.
  • Dordrecht, major historic trade port with a well preserved medieval old town and hundreds of monuments.
  • Antwerp. This historic Belgian town is less than 45 minutes from Breda.
Routes through Breda
RotterdamDordrecht  NW  S  → Belgium border (4 km) Hazeldonk → Antwerp
AlmereGorinchem  NE  S  END
VlissingenRoosendaal  W  E  TilburgEindhoven


This city travel guide to Breda is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.