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City and municipality in North Brabant, Netherlands
Photo: G.Lanting, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Breda is a city of 190,000 people (2026) in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It has a long history as a military stronghold and army base. 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 in the centre of the old town.
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk
Built in the Brabantine Gothic style in the 15th and 16th centuries, the church dedicated to Our Lady, as Virgin Mary is most often referred to in the Netherlands, boasts a tower of almost 100 m and one of the largest organs in the country. Inside you will find the Prinsenkapel, where members of the Orange-Nassau family had been buried until the city of Breda fell to the Spanish.
Oude Stadhuis
Compared to the large church, the city hall standing at its back in a wall of buildings lining up the elongated Grote Markt is unassuming at best. Apart from being a neat example of Dutch 18th-century architecture, quite ascetic compared to the raging rococo found in many other countries at that time. The building is now a historic monument and home to several works of art as well as tourist information, but the actual municipal facilities have been moved to a modern building on Claudius Prinsenlaan.
The castle 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.
Much of the historic peace and tranquillity remains in this former Béguinage. 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.
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral
Nestled in a side street incidentally named after Saint John, the cathedral church of the long-standing diocese of Breda is much less imposing than the Grote Kerk, but quite unique in that it is a 19th-century creation built in neoclassical style, both inside and out, which is a relative rarity as far as cathedrals go, especially in the Netherlands.
A panopticon-style prison, whose name refers to the cupola topping the round building with prison cells stacked in rounds on the outside walls around a large covered courtyard. It is this prison that held the "Breda four" – the only German prisoners of war who served their sentences after the Second World War in the Netherlands for war crimes committed. The prison building now houses Ukrainian refugees, and is not open for sightseeing.
The largest forest and nature reserve in Breda, cultivated since the 16th century. It is a very nice area for hiking or running, with a decor made of European red pines and ponds.
A former castle of the Orange family, now owned by the Waterschap. It is surrounded by water, and three gardens, which can be visited.
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.
A museum about heritage from the area.
The museum is managed and operated by the Princenhaags Museum Foundation, which aims to preserve, document and, promote the cultural heritage of the village of Princenhage.
City and art/design museum. It has a permanent exhibition about the Nassaus and temporary exhibitions by local artists.
Canoe rentals
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 website or the tourist office.
Eropuitje Breda is a recreational activity provider in the city centre. The organisation offers, among other things, E-Chopper and E-Step rentals and tours, city games such as Levend Cluedo and Undercover, and group activities such as Team Games, Archery Tag, Bubble Football, and De Alleskunner, with activities taking place in the city and in the nearby Valkenberg city park.
A large and pleasant park where you can have a picnic.
NAC were relegated in 2026 and now play soccer in Eerste Divisie, the second tier. Their Rat Verlegh Stadion (capacity 19,000) is 1 km northwest of city centre.
Carnaval takes place in the 4 days preceding the Christian season of Lent (around February). During this period Breda becomes Kielegat, loud music is played in the city centre and people wear costumes while consuming excessive amount of alcohol. It is obviously more fun on the first day than the last.
This four day festival takes place in the month of May and features large outdoor jazz concerts with bands coming from all over the world. It is enjoyable even if you're not really into jazz.
A typical Dutch/Belgian fries shop with a wide variety of sauces and snacks.
Traditional Dutch cuisine in an old Brabant atmosphere.
A high quality bakery and pastry shop. They also serve lunch and coffee.
A food hall with 14 kitchens serving food from all over the world. A wide variety of beers and drinks are available from the bar
Serves modern European food.
Sophisticated potato based food. Has many vegetarian options.
Very good Jordanian food. Ideal for vegetarians.
An upscale steak house serving various cuts originating from all over the world.
Contemporary French cuisine.
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.
While it is a museum, the main appeal of the place is to have a drink there. This place is decorated with around a 1000 enamel signs and antique posters of old beer adverts. They serve a wide variety of local and foreign beers.
A bar operated by a local brewing company, with a wide selection of hipster beers.
A bar serving a wide selection of local beers, some brewed by themselves. It also has a selection of traditional Dutch snacks.
An Irish pub that is popular amongst the English-speaking expat crowd. Serves Guinness and regularly has sports on TV.
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.
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 your luggage up the stairs.
This luxurious boutique hotel is a part of Marriott's Autograph Collection and is located in a complex of converted historic residential and religious buildings.
Mainly chalets but area for tents. Site uses cardkey system so you pay deposit on the card plus a pre-payment and deposit/unused pre-pay is refunded (pre-pay used for e.g. showers). Credit cards accepted.
The city centre's largest shopping mall. It contains a few clothing stores and a drugstore.
The market on the Grote Markt has mostly food stalls on Tuesday and Friday, and cultural shops on Wednesday.
By train
Breda is a major railway hub.
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.
By boat
P&O Ferries operates overnight ferry service between Hull, England and Rotterdam, the nearest port to Breda. The journey takes 12 hours.
By bike
Biking is a good option, and bikes can be rented at the train station bike parking.
By bus
The city bus is another option, circling through town. You can use 9292 to plan your trip.
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Eindhoven · International · EIN
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