The Dutch city of Breda, the ancestral lands of the Nassau counts is lively, noisy, both old and modern. There are attractive architecture, many museums, and good restaurants with a café. Perhaps, especially in Bredu, no one will go, but to make a stop on the road, for example, from Rotterdam to Antwerp - why not? Especially since the last from Breda is only fifty kilometers.
How to get to Breda
Most conveniently - by train from Amsterdam (two hours), Antwerp (hour) or Rotterdam (half an hour). You can also drive to Bredu by train from Brussels (less than 2 hours) or Middelburg (hour). There is also the option of getting a bus with transfers from Antwerp, which is located just 50 km from Breda.
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A little history
Breda has been leading its history since the 10th century , when the city belonged to the Roman Empire. Officially the city of Breda became in the middle of the 13th century, then several times passed from one suzerain to another and eventually became the residence of the counts of Nassau. This gave a powerful impetus to the development of Breda in the middle of the millennium, but the monstrous fire of 1534 undermined its prosperity, destroying almost the entire city: only the church and a hundred and fifty houses survived from the whole building.
Bred has been managed by the Flemings and Spaniards, but since the 17th century the Dutch have firmly entrenched themselves with him. During the Second World War, Breda was occupied and liberated by Polish troops: therefore, there is a monument to General Machek and the First Polish Division in the city.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Breda
The old town of Breda is very beautiful: there are as many ancient buildings, canals , bridges, island buildings directly on the water. The name Nassau was rich enough and noble, and in the city building one can still see a lot of beautiful mansions built for the gentry. They are distinguished by a characteristic architecture: L-shaped or in the form of a horseshoe with a patio, they are usually decorated with Gothic turrets and cruciform window frames made of stone. Have a look at Katarinastraat or Kastelpleyn to see them.
- Pay attention to house number 9 on Katarinastraat
- Try the local beer "Orangeburg"
- Ride along the canals Bredy on the boat with an excursion. Boats depart from the harbor.
- Sit in the most famous cafe-bar of the city "De Bommel" with a huge terrace in the style of the old-fashioned pub. Or do not sit, but dance here on Saturday night
- See the nicely finished street mobile organ and listen to what he is playing
The central square of the city - the market place Grote Markt . On it you can see the beautiful Grote church of the same name, the main the sight of Breda . The church was built in the style of Brabant Gothic . Its bell tower very little to 100 m high . The first stone church appeared here in the 15th century, although later Grotekirk was built and expanded . Until the middle of the 16th century she was a Catholic Coy then - . Protestant body in Grotekirk - one of the largest organs in the country, and it was made in the 16th century and in the 20th century - carefully restored .And in the chapel of Princes you can see the tombs of the Nassau Counts, the ancestors of the Dutch royal family . Amazing frescoes of the 16th century, made by the Italian artist Vincidor, a pupil of Raphael, adorn the ceiling of the chapel .
Another iconic structure of the city - this is a medieval castle. The fortress was built in Breda in the 12th century; in the 14th the castle was fortified with four towers and was surrounded by a canal, and in the 16th century it was turned into a Renaissance palace at that time. Later, the fortress was used as barracks and as a military hospital, and then the Royal Military Academy was located here. Near the castle is the city park Valkenberg ("Falcon Mountain"), originally a forest, used for falconry, and from the 17th century - more like a garden in the French style.
Another interesting place is Bedginhof. Once semi-monasterial, today this architectural ensemble has remained almost in its original form. There is a museum in house number 29, and in the territory a well-groomed garden with flower beds of useful herbs that have been left since their sisters took care of them.
Other notable city buildings are, for example, Dzhustkapel, late-church church of the 15th century with high sharp dome . A particularly characteristic small monument to Captain van Lewwo, who stands on StarSerf . This is a small monument that is not usually mentioned in the list of the main city attractions . Meanwhile it is this captain of the vessel "Turfships" with the help of cunning - like a Trojan horse with a horse - surrounded the fingers of the Spaniards who occupied the city in 1590 . Miniature copies of the statue are sold in the tourist office and can be a good souvenir from Breda .
The Holland Breda Casino is located in the restored 16th century monastery building, in the heart of the city. The very name of the building - "Kloosterkaerne" - is made up of two words reflecting the primary purpose and subsequent use of the building: "monastery" and "barracks". Today, Holland, opened there, is the largest casino in Europe.
There are some quite interesting museums in Breda . Apart from the main, urban (city and surrounding history) and Begijnhof, there is, for example, an art museum (MOTI ): a new museum dedicated to design and contemporary art with a collection of exhibits, the earliest of which dates back to 1890 . In addition, the museum of General Machek with a collection of documents of the Second World War, as well as a museum of war and peace, is interesting . Finally, in Breda there is a museum of advertising and brands of beer, where m It is possible to see all kinds of promotional materials since 1960 . There is a great chance that the local collection is the largest in Europe .
Breda is considered a good city for shopping . And in fact, there are a lot of different shops and large shops here . Here they buy fashionable clothes, shoes, accessories, interior design items and expensive boutique pieces . The main shopping areas are 't Sas, Baroness and Ginneken, and the most popular is Veemarkstraat . At Wilhelminstraat, there are mostly luxury boutiques of exclusive brands, and on Ginnekenweg and Neuve Ginnekenstraat are shops of vintage gizmos and antiques . The market at Grotemarkt in Breda works on Tuesdays and Fridays, organic products market at Weemarkstraat - on Tuesdays, and the flea market on Ginneken - on Saturdays .
Breda neighborhoods
Directly beyond the city limits is a century-old forest Mastbos, written references about which occur in sources dating back to the beginning of the 16th century. Here, tourists are waited by beautiful lakes, fields, a lot of birds and complete unity with nature.
To the south of the city is the castle Buvin, which, as if in a fairy tale, stands directly on a forest lake. The castle was built in the middle of the 16th century and today, alas, is closed for visiting. But even an external inspection is worth it to come here: the feature of the castle is a beautiful garden around. The garden was created in the beginning of the 20th century and consists of three gardens in different styles: English, German and French, with an amazing collection of sculptures. The garden is completely free to visit and the wedding is often held at the castle.
Book popular Breda hotels at the best prices
| Mastbosch Hotel Breda from 4 342 rub Breda Burgemeester Kerstenslaan 20 | Golden Tulip Keyser Breda Center from 5 859 rubles Breda Keizerstraat 5 | Novotel Breda from 4 480 rubles Breda Dr. Batenburglaan 74 |
| Stadshotel De Klok from 4 549 rubles Breda Grote Markt 26-28 | Campanile Hotel & Restaurant Breda from 3 309 rubles Breda Minervum 7090 | Hotel Sutor from 5,445 rubles Breda Catharinastraat 2 |
| Hotel Het Scheepshuys from 3 446 rubles Breda Teteringsedijk 196 |
Events of Breda
In the first weekend of September in Breda Every year the festival "Redheaddey" takes place - as is clear from the title, it is a festival of redheads. It lasts two days, with lectures, workshops, demonstrations and other performances. The festival is attended by residents of several dozen countries from all over Europe; besides it is completely free for participants, as it is sponsored by local authorities
And since 1971 the annual jazz festival, one of the largest in Holland and in Europe in general, has been held in the city. Each year, the festival program includes about 175 concerts, and visits them about 250 thousand people. The festival lasts 4 days and is always timed to the Christian holiday of the Ascension. There are many free concerts in the open air, and more serious bands play on indoor venues.