Breda

The VVV has 2 offices in town. The primary one is across the train station, but there's a smaller office with more limited opening hours on the Grote Markt.

• Tourist Information Office (VVV)

  phone: +31 900-522 24 44
  address: Willemstraat 17-19

• Tourist Information Office (VVV)

  phone: +31 900-522 24 44
  address: Grote Markt 38

By plane

Breda does not have a commercial airport, but thanks to the excellent public transportation system of the Netherlands, it can be reached easily from numerous airports in the Netherlands and even in Belgium.

• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is the largest in the Netherlands and one of the most important global hubs, with extensive flight connection network across many continents. From the airport's train station (directly underneath the terminal), NS Dutch Railways operates frequent Intercity Direct high-speed rail service every 30 minutes to Breda. The journey takes 1 hour and costs €21.40 one-way (including €2.40 supplement for using the Intercity Direct)
• Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is closer to Breda and served by a number of short-haul connections. From there, one needs to take RET's bus 33 to Rotterdam Centraal railway station and continue to Breda by the same Intercity Direct or regular Intercity to Breda. The total journey takes about an hour as well and costs €11 (Intercity Direct supplement does not apply, as it is only required for journeys including the stretch between Rotterdam and Schiphol).
• Eindhoven Airport (EIN) is the country's second-largest airport by number of passengers, served mostly by low-fare traffic from all over Europe. Again, one needs to take a bus from the airport to Eindhoven's railway station and change to an Intercity train to Breda, with a total journey time of slightly above 1 hour and costs €12.90.
• Brussels Airport (BRU) is another international and intercontinental hub close to Breda, with many flights to Africa in particular. It has an integrated train station as well, but trains from Brussels Airport no longer run directly to Breda - one has to change in Roosendaal. The total journey time is 1.5 hours and cost of both train tickets should not come above €20.

By train

Breda is a major railway hub. Two railway lines meet at the Breda station - the north-south line from Rotterdam to the Belgian border, with further extensions to Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and The Hague, and the east-west line branching out in Breda through Tilburg towards Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch. The latter connects to branches going to Utrecht, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Zwolle. A variety of trains, including frequently stopping Sprinters, traverse those lines connecting Breda not only to those major cities but also many smaller stations along the way, such as Delft. Pretty much all of the Netherlands can be reached from Breda by trains with one train change.
High-speed premium Intercity Direct trains connect Breda to Amsterdam, Schiphol and Rotterdam without intermediate stops. As of 2018, Breda once again has direct international connections to Antwerp and Brussels, eliminating the need to change in Roosendaal along the way.
Train schedules and ticket prices can be found on the Nederlandse Spoorwegen website.

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.

On foot

The city centre and most of the sights are easy to discover on foot.

By bike

Alternatively, 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.

• Grote KerkBuilt 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 metres and one of the largest organs in the country. Inside you will find in. al. the Prinsenkapel, where members of the Orange-Nassau family had been buried until the city of Breda fell to the Spanish.

• Old city hallCompared to the large church, the city hall standing at its back in a wall of buildings lining up the elongated Grote Markt is inassuming 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.

• Castle of BredaThe 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.

• Begijnhof

  address: Entrance is at the Catharinastraat
  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.

• Sint-AntoniuskathedraalNestled 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.

• Koepelgevangenis

  address: Nassausingel 26
  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 that served their sentences after the Second World War in the Netherlands for war crimes committed. The prison building complex is no longer in use and a national monument, but generally is not open for sightseeing.

Museums

The city has a number of museums worth noting.

• Generaal Maczek Museum

  phone: +31 76 527 40 89
  address: De la Reijweg 95, Breda
  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.)

• Stedelijk Museum Breda

  phone: +31 76 529 99 00
  address: Boschstraat 22, Breda
  Wrong language! Museum Breda is het museum voor erfgoed en geschiedenis van de stad Breda en voor actuele beeldcultuur. Het museum komt voort uit Breda’s Museum en MOTI, Museum of the Image.
  De geschiedenis van Stedelijk Museum Breda gaat terug tot 1903, toen het eerste gemeentelijke museum werd opgericht. Sinds die tijd is een rijke en gevarieerde collectie opgebouwd, gericht op ontwikkelingen in en om de stad. Daarbij hebben zich deelcollecties gevormd over thema´s als religie, het leger en de industrie. Het museum heeft ook een omvangrijke beeldende kunstcollectie en verzamelingen van grafische vormgeving en digitale beeldcultuur.

• Museum Oorlog & Vrede

  phone: +31 76 521 41 56
  address: Ginnekenweg 76, Breda
  (War and Peace Museum)

• Stichting Princenhaags Museum

  phone: +31 76 514 01 21
  address: Dreef 36, Breda

• Bier Reclame Museum

  phone: +31 76 522 09 75
  address: Haagweg 375, Breda
  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.

• Heemkundig Museum Paulus van Daesdonck

  phone: +31 76 561 27 42
  address: Pennendijk 1, Ulvenhout

• 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.
• If you have a smartphone, you can enjoy walking around the city with free audio tours, published on izi.TRAVEL platform.

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

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

  address: St. Janstraat 4
  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

  phone: +31 76-51 51 340
  address: Ginnekenweg 35
  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.

• Smaak en Beleving

  phone: +31 76 5718099
  address: Van Voorst tot Voorststraat 44
  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

  phone: +31 76-5214306
  address: Grote Markt 17
  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

  phone: +31 76 762 01 74
  address: Ginnekenweg 11-13
  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.

• Restaurant Chocolat

  address: Torenstraat 9

• Restaurant Huispizzeria

  phone: +31 76 - 5143900
  address: Grote Markt 35
  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

  address: Grote Markt 40

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

• Cafe de Speeltuin

  address: Visserstraat 14

• Parc Breda

  address: Grote Markt 20

• Kerkplein

  address: Torenstraat 17-19

• Hotel Sutor

  address: Catharinastraat 2
  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

  phone: +31 76 751 30 00
  address: Schorsmolenstraat 6
  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.

• Golden Tulip Keyser Breda

  address: 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.

• Hotel Nassau Breda, Autograph Collection

  address: Nieuwstraat 21-25
  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.

Camping

• Camping Liesbos

  phone: +31 76 514 35 14
  address: Liesdreef 40, 4838GV, Breda
  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.

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.