| Breda | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | North Brabant | |
| Altitude | 3 m above sea level | |
| Surface | 128.68 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 180.420 (2014 estimate) | |
| Prefix tel | 31 76 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 4800–4841, 4847, 4850–4854 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Breda is a city of Brabant, located in south gods Netherlands.
To know
Breda is a typical Dutch provincial town with a small, delightful old town surrounded by moats and canals fed by the placid waters of the Makt River which flows longitude west of the center.
The surroundings are very green and are suitable for boat or bicycle excursions. After 's-Hertogenbosch, is the most visited city of North Brabant.
Breda boasts about 25 hotels, 170 restaurants and about twenty night clubs. Those who plan a visit will also be able to count on a varied number of recreational activities listed below. You certainly don't get bored in Breda.
Background
Breda was, from the time of its incorporation into the Republic of the United Provinces sanctioned by Treaty of Westphalia, an important military stronghold aimed at countering the Revanchist intentions of the Habsburgs on the one hand Spain which at the time held firmly in their hands the territories of the present Belgium and on the other the greed of the Bourbons of France, in particular of the Sun King. Still today the city shows off its military character to the visitor; the ancient castle of Breda which rises in the middle of the historic center has been the seat of the Royal Dutch Military Academy since 1826. Other military institutions are housed in the historic buildings of the city.
How to orient yourself
Breda (Netherlands): full screen map.How to get
The shipping company P&O Ferries operates a night ferry service from the port of Hull in England to Rotterdam. The crossing takes about 12 hours.
On the train
Breda is a major railway transport hub. Its station is located at the intersection of two railways:
- One, with a north-south trend, connects Amsterdam with the port of Antwerp (Belgium) passing through the Hague is Rotterdam.
- The other with an east-west trend goes from Nijmegen to Middelburg passing through 's-Hertogenbosch is Tilburg.
Thanks to a myriad of branches that detach from these two axes you can quickly reach any destination not only in the Benelux but also in neighboring countries, with at most a single train change. In particular Düsseldorf and the other cities of the German Land North Rhine-Westphalia, despite the apparent remoteness when viewed on any map, they are a stone's throw from Breda.
On the official site of the Dutch railways you can book the train and ticket that best suits your needs or your pocket. If you are in a hurry you can count on "Intercity Direct", high-speed trains that connect Breda to Amsterdam with intermediate stops a Rotterdam is the Hague.
Unfortunately high speed trains Fyra which ensured a rapid international connection with Antwerp and the capital of the Belgium they are no longer in operation and to reach these two locations you will be forced to change trains at the nearby station of Roosendaal.
How to get around
What see
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- 1 Great Church (Grote Kerk). The Great Church, officially Notre Dame (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), whose completion dates back to the sixteenth century, is one of the most famous monuments of the city, built according to the characteristic Gothic-Brabantine style of the time. Its bell tower reaches a height of 100 m. Noteworthy inside are the great organ and the Prinsenkapel, where some members of the Orange-Nassau house are buried.
- 2 Ancient municipal building (Oude Stadhuis). Located at the rear of the Notre Dame church, the old town hall disappears by comparison, mainly due to the considerable height of the steeple. The palace itself constitutes a very sober example of 18th century Dutch architecture. It has been declared a monument of historical importance and houses collections of artistic objects. The municipal offices have long since moved to a new building on nearby Claudius Prinsenlaan.
- 3 Breda Castle. Castle of the fourteenth century restored in the mid-sixteenth century according to Renaissance dictates. Since 1826 it has been the seat of the Royal Military Academy and its interior cannot be visited.
- 4 The Begijnhof in Breda (Het Bredase Begijnhof), Catharinastraat.
1 €. 
Mon-Sun 09: 00-18: 00. Complex of the seventeenth century that housed the beguines, single women or widows of the Catholic religion dedicated to pious works who, however, unlike the nuns, had not taken any votes. It was therefore a secular order. You will enter the main courtyard through the main gate on the Catharinastraat known as the "prince's door" from 1540. The houses of the Beguines corresponding to house numbers from 31 to 43 are the oldest and date back to 1535. The convent church is a simple brick chapel made between 1836 and 1838 in neoclassical style. You will still notice the herbarium where medicinal plants were grown and the Heksenbol, a glass and mirror globe that commemorated the dead but also served as a deterrent to the devil and to keep diseases and adversity away. - 5 Cathedral of S. Antonio (Sint-Antoniuskathedraal). It is an example of neoclassical style built in the nineteenth century.
- 6 Koepelgevangenis, Nassausingel 26. Prison with a large central dome that allowed the prison guards a better observation of the inmates. The last to be detained in the prison were German prisoners of war waiting to be sentenced for crimes committed, after which the prison was closed and the building declared a national monument.
1 €. 
Mon-Sun 09: 00-18: 00. Complex of the seventeenth century that housed the beguines, single women or widows of the Catholic religion dedicated to pious works who, however, unlike the nuns, had not taken any votes. It was therefore a secular order. You will enter the main courtyard through the main gate on the Catharinastraat known as the "prince's door" from 1540. The houses of the Beguines corresponding to house numbers from 31 to 43 are the oldest and date back to 1535. The convent church is a simple brick chapel made between 1836 and 1838 in neoclassical style. You will still notice the herbarium where medicinal plants were grown and the Heksenbol, a glass and mirror globe that commemorated the dead but also served as a deterrent to the devil and to keep diseases and adversity away.Museums
Breda has a number of museums, most of which have a specific or limited interest. The low turnout has forced some of them to close their doors or to merge with each other. Below is a list:
- 7 Breda Museum, Chassépark, Parade 12, Breda, ☎ 31 76 529 93 00, @[email protected]. Adults: € 7, children: free. Closed from 1 January 2017 in view of the merger of its collections with those of the MOTI image museum. Collections of historical and artistic objects of local manufacture and various others including drawings, weapons, models of buildings and warships.
- 8 MOTI Image Museum, Boschstraat 22, ☎ 31 76 529 9900. Closed from 1 January 2017 in view of the merger of its collections with those of the Breda museum.
- 9 Maczek General Museum, De la Reijweg 95, ☎ 31 76 527 40 89. Museum dedicated to the 1st Polish Army which, under the direction of General Stanislaw Maczek, played an important role in the liberation of Dutch territories occupied by the Germans in the two-year period 1944-1945. As the museum is located inside a military zone, an identity document must be presented to access it.
- 10 War and Peace Museum (Museum Oorlog en Vrede), Ginnekenweg 76, ☎ 31 76 521 4156. Collection of documents and newspapers dating back to the year 1933 and following, plus collections of objects relating to the 2nd World War.
- 11 Princenhaags Museum, Haagweg 334, ☎ 31 76 522 0975. Museum that tells the story of Princenhage, an ancient village that later became a district of the city of Breda
- 12 Beer advertising museum (Bierreclame Museum), Haagweg 375, ☎ 31 76 522 0975. Collections of posters (about a thousand) advertising brands of beer from various sources (Belgium, Ireland, United Kingdom and of course Holland. The oldest of these posters date back to the end of the 19th century. A pub with old furnishings has also been set up inside. .
- 13 National Museum of History "Paolo Daesdonck" (Heemkundig Museum Paulus van Daesdonc), Pennendijk 1, ☎ 31 76 561 2742. June - September: first Sunday of each month. Curious museum dedicated to kitsch, set up in a small farmhouse from 1903 located in the Ulvenhout district. Collections of photographs and objects from the first half of the 20th century.
Events and parties
- Redhead festival (Roodharigendag). September. Annual festival that occurs on the first weekend of September. People with natural red hair, from over 20 different countries, gather there.
What to do
- Book a guided tour of the city proposed by the local tourist office or alternatively buy one of the pamphlets in English or Dutch published by the same tourist office that will allow you to go on your own to discover Breda and its attractions.
- Visit the old quarters of Zandberg and Ginneken, just south of the Wilhelminastraat, and admire their former merchant residences from the 17th - 18th centuries. A little further south extends the Mastbos, a green area with tall trees that form real woods.
- Rent a canoe to explore the canals of Breda. You can book it through the tourist office or on the website Beleef Breda if you plan the excursion on weekends. On weekdays you can do without the reservation and it will be enough to go to the Spanjaardsgat, the ancient port of Breda, today with purely recreational functions, where various pleasure boats are at anchor waiting to be hired.
- Imitate the locals and head for a picnic or simply sunbathe on the lawns of the Valkenberg, a beautiful park located halfway between the train station and the center. You will find yourself in the company of young local beauties.
Shopping
A popular shopping street is the Wilhelminastraat, just south of the old town. Most of the shops that line it sell clothing.
- 1 De Barones, Lange Brugstraat. A shopping center inaugurated in 1997, suitable for those looking for designer clothes or luxury items. However, from 2010 onwards, more and more spaces within it are vacant following the closure of several commercial establishments, some of which have declared bankruptcy. The name "La Baronessa" is due to the fact that the center was obtained from a mansion that belonged to a descendant of the barons of Breda but it is not suitable for the mentality of the Dutch and it sounds a bit strange as well as in Italian.
How to have fun
Shows
- 1 Chassé Theater & Cinema Breda, Claudius Prinsenlaan 8, ☎ 31 76 530 3132. Multiplex theater and another smaller one, reserved for the screenings of films in the original language. It also has a restaurant. A very well-kept center that is certainly worth a detour regardless of the theatrical performances.
Night clubs
The most popular nightclubs are located on the Grote Markt and Havermarkt squares. The nightclubs are crowded mainly from Thursday to Saturday, much less from Sunday to Wednesday.
- 2 Cafe de Speeltuin, Visserstraat 14.
- 3 Parc Breda, Grote Markt 20.
- 4 Kerkplein Breda, Torenstraat 17-19.
- 5 Holland Casino Breda, Kloosterplein 20, ☎ 31 76 525 1100. Mon-Sun: 12: 00–03: 00. Even if you don't like gambling, you could go to the Breda casino to taste the dishes of the French restaurant inside and listen to good live music for a modest cost. The rooms are wide-ranging and the decorations are very accurate. A small temple of the game, no doubt about it! The clothing required is informal, the tie is no longer a must.
Where to eat
Restaurants abound in Breda. Most of them are concentrated around the two central squares, the Grote Markt, the Havermarkt and the neighboring streets. Here is a small selection:
Moderate prices
- De 3 Vrienden, St. Janstraat 4, ☎ 31 76 533 5880. Single dishes from € 8.5. 17:00-22:00. Always very busy restaurant, one of the few in Breda that does not accept credit cards. If you want to save money, forget about the appetizers and other dishes listed on the menu and ask for the single dish; there are several proposed.
Average prices
- 1 Restaurant Dickens & Jones, Grote Markt 40 (in front of the entrance to the Great Church), ☎ 30 76 521 1080. Prices starting from € 16 for main courses. Good atmosphere. Main dishes include, truffle pasta, cod and chicken burger.
- 2 [link not working]Smaak en Beleving, Van Voorst tot Voorststraat 44, ☎ 31 76 571 8099. Three-course lunch € 24.5. Small restaurant renowned for serving large portions.
- 3 Zuyd, Ginnekenweg 35, ☎ 31 76 515 1340, @[email protected]. Starting from € 36.50. Tue-Sat 12: 00-14: 30 and 18: 00-22: 00; Sun-Mon closed. The Zuyd is a modern French cuisine restaurant. As it earns more and more points on review sites, it tends to get crowded and you'll have to book.
- 4 Restaurant Chocolat, Torenstraat 9A, ☎ 31 76 533 5975. French restaurant & winebar.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 Sutor hotels, Catharinastraat 2, ☎ 31 76 5322393. Simple hotel in the center, located on the street of the clubs open until late at night and therefore not suitable for delicate ears. It has no lift.
Average prices
- 2 Merlinde hotels, Schorsmolenstraat 6, ☎ 31 76 751 3000. Double: from 130 €. 4-star hotel located on the edge of the center. Very quiet, it has free parking for its guests and is therefore suitable for those traveling with cars. A hotel aimed at elderly people who need special medical care or attention but, of course, anyone is welcome.
- 3 Golden Tulip Keyser Breda, Keizerstraat 5. From € 140 for a double room per night. Hotel with spacious rooms just outside the center. It does not have parking.
High prices
- 4 Hotel Nassau Breda, Autograph Collection, Nieuwstraat 21-25. Luxurious boutique hotel belonging to the "Marriott's Autograph Collection" hotel chain. The unit was obtained from a complex of historic buildings.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- Antwerp - The second city of the Belgium it can be reached from Breda by train or bus in just 3/4 of an hour.
- Bergen op Zoom - A flourishing port in the Middle Ages that seemed destined to overcome the primacy of nearby Antwerp but which ended up covered in sand. It has a small but very pleasant historic center that documents its past seafaring activities.
- Dordrecht - A thriving city in the Middle Ages thanks to its maritime traffic.
- Tilburg - The university city of Tilburg and the famous Efteling amusement park are located just thirty kilometers east of Breda.
Useful information
The local tourist office has two locations in the city. The first is inside the train station, the second on the Grote Markt square:
- 1 Railway station tourist office, Willemstraat 17-19, ☎ 31 900-522 24 44, @[email protected]. Tue-Fri: 10: 00-17: 00, Mon 13: 00-17: 00, Sat 10: 00-14: 30, Sun closed.
- 2 Grote Markt Tourist Office, Grote Markt 38, ☎ 31 900 522 2444, @[email protected]. Wed-Fri: 10: 30-17: 30, Sat 10: 30-17: 00.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Breda (Netherlands)
Commons contains images or other files on Breda (Netherlands)
