Uncover the Vibrant Charms of Breda while also Discovering the Surrounding Nature
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For your information, all these pictures were taken in August 2024.
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Some information about Breda
Breda is located in the province of North Brabant. This city is famous for being a prominent part in the life of Vincent van Gogh, the world-famous painter who painted ‘The Starry Night’ and ‘Sunflowers’. Many of his family members were from Breda, so he spent a lot of his youth here. That’s why Breda was an inspiration for Van Gogh’s work. But there are also many things to visit in the city, like the Castle of Breda, the Begijnhof, or the Great Church.
How to get to Breda?
The Netherlands is located in the northwestern of Europe, which borders Germany and Belgium. The United Kingdom is a sea border. The country is quite easy to visit because it’s pretty central in Europe and has a heavily visited capital.
Breda itself is located in the south of the Netherlands and borders Belgium pretty closely. So, there are many ways to reach this city!
1 | With the plane
As the airport of the Netherlands, better known as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, is one of the most visited airports in Europe, you can travel from almost all parts of the world to this country. But Amsterdam isn’t a part of Nothern Brabant, so you still need to take another mode of transportation.
It would be better to arrive at Eindhoven Airport, which is a city part of North Brabant. This airport has around 80 destinations, so a lot of European countries fly to this airport. Afterward, it takes around 1 hour to reach the city by train or 45 minutes by car.
2 | With public transportation
The train system is very well handled and is the most enjoyable to travel to the Netherlands! No matter the destination in the country, you will be there in no time!
I once travelled from Belgium to the Netherlands by train and it was such an easy, enjoyable train ride. You can also travel from Germany, but these times can take a bit longer, depending on where you come from.
3 | By car
You can also come to the Netherlands by car, but I would still recommend going by train. As you want to visit big cities, you’ll probably have trouble of finding a parking spot for your car. It can even be faster by train!
How to get around Breda?
You can travel around the city by foot or by bike. As the Netherlands is well-known around the world for being a bike country, taking a bike is perfect to incorporate into your trip. The cycle paths are well-maintained and are signposted by bicycle junctions (better known as ‘fietsknooppunten’ in Dutch).
Where to stay in Breda?
The perfect place to stay in Breda is Hotel Nassau. It’s in the middle of the city center and close to everything. The hotel itself had a restaurant and a fitness, but the most impressive part was the interior. Hotel Nassau was a monastery until 1991 and is now a hotel since 2016. The best part is that there are still remains of the monastery and that the interior is dressed this way!
Breda Itinerary
Breda itinerary: Day 1
1 | Arriving in Breda
As Breda is very closely located to where I live, we arrived pretty early on in Breda. This is perfect as there are many things to do in the city! It’s where history and street art meet with each other. The city center also contains lots of beautiful old buildings, like the Castle of Breda, the Begijnhof or the Great Church. You can also enjoy the many cafés, terraces, and restaurants Breda has to offer.
If you want some more information about the city, you can always check out the Explore Breda Store. It’s the perfect place to start your trip as it’s an information center where you can find all the tips and events going on in Breda.
2 | Learn more about the history of Breda at 'Stedelijk Museum'
It’s always important to know more about the history of a location you visit. And the best place to learn about Breda is at ‘Stedelijk Museum‘! As some people might know, the family history of the House of Orange-Nassau is closely associated with the current royal Dutch family. At this museum, you can find out everything about ancient stories!
The history of the House of Orange-Nassau is a permanent exhibition in the museum. But there are also temporary ones. When I visited the museum, there was an exhibition of Engelbrecht’s Earthly Delights. This was such a special experience and I can imagine that there will be many more amazing ones!
The price for an adult is €13.50, but there are many reductions you can find on the website. The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM and on the weekends, the museum opens at 10 AM.
3 | Eat a delicious lunch at Big Belly
After all this history and culture, it was time for an extensive and delicious lunch! It’s in the middle of the city and has a view over the Great Church. They even have the name of having the best terrace in the whole of Breda! And if you like beer, this place is especially something for you as they brew 12 of 24 beers on tap themselves.
4 | Take a look at the city with the Royal Route
There are many fun ways to discover the city, and one way is via the routes Explore Breda City has made. There are three different routes: the Royal, Creative, and Green Route, which let you get to know the city in a fun way!
We decided to take the Royal Route, which focuses on the history of the city. If you download the Explore Breda App, you can find the different routes. It’s the perfect way to get to know the city!
5 | Climb to the top of the Great Church and enjoy the panoramic view
This church is the center of the city, and it’s such a beautiful sight to look at! That’s why it’s a must-visit to go inside and go to the top for a panoramic view. The church was first Catholic but became in 1637 Protestants. Sometimes, inside the church is a temporary exhibition. With my visit, RE-BELLE from Maria Roosen was happening.
The church is free to visit and is open almost every day of the year (with a few exceptions on public holidays). If you want to go to the top of the tower, it costs €7 per person.
6 | Find some Blind Walls along the way
After visiting the Church, it’s time to wander around the city itself. In Breda, you can find a lot of Blind Walls along your route. These are wall murals from different national and international artists! It’s a fun way to discover the city as there are over 100 murals spread across Breda. How many can you spot on your city walk? You can find all the Blind Walls in the Explore Breda App.
7 | Have dinner at the Boterhal
After such a long day, it’s time to have a delicious dinner at the Boterhal in the middle of the city. Next to being an international tapas restaurant, it’s also specialized in beer and wine. The building itself has a rich history as well, which we only discovered after getting a tour of the cellar which happens to be a brewery.
The restaurant brews its own beer that you can only taste here! This is quite special and is a must if you’re a beer lover. If you try some beer tasting in the tasting room, you immediately see the medieval atmosphere from 1483. So be sure to make a stop at the Boterhal and let you be immersed in one of their own beers.
8 | Unwind your day at The Streetfood Club
Not tired yet after such a good dinner? We neither and that’s why we decided to go to ‘The Streetfood Club’. The interior alone is good to stay awake to drink one more cocktail before going to bed. So, take a 15-minute walk from the Grand Market and visit this bar.
The cocktail card was also a surprise: you step into the world of mystic and magic! It looks like a lot of tarot cards and that way, you will find the right cocktail for you!
Breda itinerary: Day 2
9 | Explore the city in the early morning
Following our breakfast at Hotel Nassau, it was time to explore the city center a bit more. But this time before everyone wakes up as the shops are still closed and the streets are still empty! Seeing how the city wakes up is mesmerizing!
Make sure you don’t miss visiting the Begijnhof, which is the oldest institution of Breda since 1267. After that, go to the Valkenberg park, which is right next to the Begijnhof! It’s a beautiful park where only royals and their guests used to come back in the day. From here, you have a stunning view over the Castle of Breda, another must-visit stop in your morning walk!
10 | Get into nature with bikes and visit Markdal
It’s possible to rent bikes at the Nassau hotel for €15 per day per bike and that’s exactly what we did! It’s such a fun way to explore the city a bit further and spot some more Blind Walls.
But another reason to rent a bike is to get outside of the city and get into the neighboring nature! After a bike ride of 15 minutes, you get into Markdal, an oasis of green to escape the city life!
But before going to Markdal, it’s time to stop for a well-deserved coffee after your city walk! You can stop by Markdal at Well, a new healthy fast-food bar. We picked up our lunch after our drink and went to Markdal to enjoy nature.
It’s quite relaxing to just ride your bike and see where it takes you, but there is one must-visit spot to see! It’s Castle Bouvigne, which is very easy to find! You can enter the gardens only on the weekday tho, so we didn’t get to enjoy this.
The bike ride almost came to an end, but not before eating the delicious lunch picnic Well created for us! If you want to do this as well, just order a few different dishes at Well and eat it at Markdal!
11 | Step into the shoes of Van Gogh and hike for some inspiration
Now it’s time to really escape the city life and transport to Etten-Leur, a smaller village close to Breda. One of the many things to visit in Etten-Leur is the ‘Menmoerhoeve‘. This is a family business with lots of different activities, like a restaurant, a farm, camping, lots of games such as farmer’s golf, and many more!
The estate is also fun to walk around as you can discover the butterfly garden, the bees, the frog pond, and the forgotten vegetables, … Until the end of August, the farm is doing something new to celebrate the year of the sunflower and Van Gogh. It’s a recreation of the famous painting ‘The Vase with 15 Sunflowers’ in real life with real sunflowers.
After wandering around the estate, it’s time to put on your walking shoes and start the 14-kilometer hike that inspired Van Gogh himself. Etten-Leur is the place where he started his artistic career and he hiked loads in his birthplace. It’s not hard to see why he got so charmed by this place!
The hike is 14 kilometers long, but can also be extended by going to the center of Etten-Leur and visiting some Van Gogh Monuments like the Van Gogh Church, the Kosterswoning, the Oude Raadhuis, and the Lambertus Church.
The hike takes for 98% place on unpaved roads so keep that in mind while picking out your shoes. It takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete the whole hike. And once you get back to the starting point, it’s a good idea to get some drinks at the Menmoerhoeve. Know that the restaurant is closed at 7 PM, so you need to be here before that time or you can only get a dessert! You can find all the directions on poles along the route. Which way you need to go can be found online, so check it out here.
12 | Extra: Shopping spree in Breda
If you have one more day in Breda, it’s still possible to enjoy some shopping in the city center! There are many places where you can go like de Barones which is a shopping mall or Eindstraat which is a huge shopping street!
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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