Introduction
Breda is a city with about 170.000 inhabitants in the west of the province of North Brabant, which still makes it one of the 10 biggest cities in the Netherlands. Still, it feels more than a rather small city when walking across the centre with its main market square and cathedral as a central landmark. The city has a lively atmosphere, partly thanks to the students of the National School of Tourism and Traffic (NHTV).
Brief History
The first settlements appeared in the 12th century A.D. along the shores of the Mark river. Later in history, around 1333 the city of Breda became fortified and entering the city was only possible from 3 main points. In this era, less than 3000 people lived in Breda.
Breda became a very important city in during the 80 year war between 1568 and 1648 and during this time the city was occupied by the Spanish several times, as it was on the border between the catholic south and protestant north.
Even later, during the early 19th century, French and Russian troups, among others, conquered the city. But like most of what is now called the Netherlands, the second half of that same century saw a more positive periode of trade and wealth. Nowadays, Breda is a modern city, with history around every corner.
Neighbourhoods
Apart from the city center, which is totally surrounded by water ('grachten'), you can find the following neighbourhoods in Breda:
- Haagse Beemden
- Hoge Vucht
- Belcrum
- Linie/Doornbos
- Heilaar
- Tuinzigt
- Westerpark
- Princenhage
- Heuvel
- Boeimeer
- Ginneken
- Zandberg Oost en West (East and West)
- Blauwe Kei/Overakker
- IJpelaar
- Brabantpark/Heusdenhout
Also, within the municipality of Breda there are several small villages and towns like Bavel, Prinsenbeek, Ulvenhout, Teteringen and Effen.
Sights and Activities
There are several sights in Breda which are worth a visit. Most of these sites can be visited by walking around the centre or otherwise taking a bike or bus.
- On the central market square you can find the Grote or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Church, with graves of former leaders of the city. Also the market itself, lined with restaurants and pubs is a lively area, especially on market days and in summer.
- The castle of Breda, where the Royal Military Academy is located nowadays.
- The Spanjaardsgat symbolises the hole in the defence made by the Spaniards and is made up of two towers on the northside of the centre of Breda, next to the Castle of Breda.
- Begijnhof Breda, where from around the 13th century the Begijnen lived. They were catholic women who wished to live in a peaceful and religious way, with a live full of praying. They did not, however, made a promise of eternal loyalty and poverty.
- The townhall of Breda, originally made up of 3 houses, now is the place most weddings take place. In front of the townhall are steps up to the front door.
- The Bouvigne Castle, south of Breda, and its gardens. Although the castle is usually closed and only open on certain days of the year, you can visit the French, German and English gardens around the castle. Next to the castle is the Mastforest, where you can walk around and escape the crowds of the city.
- Valkenberg Park, located between the trainstation and the city centre. A great place to relax, meet with friends, have a picknick or enjoy one of the events held here during the year.
Events and Festivals
Breda is a city with lots of events and festivals, most of them held during the spring and summer season.
- Breda Jazz Festival - One of the biggest events in Breda, usually held in May, early June.
- Breda Balloon Fesitval - Hot Air Balloon colour the sky.
- Harley Day - want to see dozens of Harley Davidson's? This is your day!
- Breda Hippique - Horses and stuff.
- Readhead Day - a relatively new event which attracts hundreds of redheads from the Netherlands and other countries.
- Breda Barst - music festival
- Breda Singelloop - for the sportive people
Koningsdag (King's Day)
In 2013, the Dutch throne was passed on to King Willem-Alexander and what used to be Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) will from 2014 become Koningsdag (King's Day). The date will be changed to the 27th of April, which is the king's birthday. In 2014 however it will be on the 26th of April because the 27th falls on a Sunday. On this day the streets of almost every sizable town in the country come alive with activity.
Carnaval
The (catholic) south of the Netherlands celebrates carnaval at the beginning of the year. (40 days before Easter). During the days of Carnaval, all the names of the cities and towns get another (a bit loony) name. The party starts at Saturday and ends the following Tuesday. It goes hand in hand with a lot of drinking and dressing up.
Weather
Breda weather is typical of what you get in the Netherlands: mild winters with rare snow but regular frost at night, and reasonably warm summers, when temperatures are usually around or slightly above 20 degrees Celsius. The best months to visit Breda are between May and September, especially if you want to enjoy some of the nice terraces on the market square or along the harbor.
Getting there
By Plane
Breda has no airport. The nearest airports are Eindhoven (about 1 hour) and Rotterdam (45 minutes). Schiphol Amsterdam is about 1.5 hours by car, more so by public transport.
By Train
The Breda Train Station offers regular connections towards the east (Eindhoven), west (Vlissingen) and north (Rotterdam) of the Netherlands, with connections towards other places in the Netherlands and places in Belgium and Germany.
By Car
You can reach the city by car on one of the highways. There is the A27 from Utrecht, A58 from Tilburg and A16 from Rotterdam.
By Bus
Most people arrive in Breda by car or train, but several buses travel to neighbouring cities. One of them is the 'Brabantliner' by Veolia which travels between Breda and Utrecht.
Eurolines offers also international connections to and from Breda.
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
For some areas further away from the city center and difficult to reach by bus you might choose to take the car. Remember though that usually between 8:00am and 9:00am and between 4:00pm and 6:00pm during weekdays, traffic is quite heavy and biking might be (much) faster. Also, Thursday evenings and Saturdays can see more traffic than usual.
The city centre has paid parking, usually around €1.5 an hour or €7 a day.
By Public Transport
There are dozens of buslines that connect the trainstation and city centre with the surrouding neighbourhoods, towns and some places further away. Veolia offers most connections (Dutch only).
By Foot
The entire city centre can be navigated on foot quite easily. Distances are not big and even the trainstation is only about 10 minutes from the central market square.
By Bike
Like many other Dutch cities, Breda has numerous biking lanes, which make it easy and pleasant to take your bike. Also, guarded parking of your bike is free of charge in Breda.
Eat
Work
Learn
The NHTV is one of the main institutions in Breda, with many international students. It specializes in traffic and tourism education.
Keep Connected
Internet
Internet cafés certainly are not ubiqutous to say the least. Although there are a few, it's best to go on the internet in your hotel, hostel or maybe in the nearest library, as they can be hard to find.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.46 (2010). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).
Sending items to other EU countries will cost €0.67, while the rest of the world sets you back €0.89 per piece. Stamps are sold at post offices and supermarkets; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.
Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between 500-2,000 grams will cost you €9.10 for destinations within the EU, and €17.50 to the rest of the world. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well.
If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.
On Travellerspoint
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This is version 12. Last edited at 7:21 on May 17, 13 by Utrecht. 10 articles link to this page.
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