Breda
Under the glow of old royal houses and at the confluence of the Aa and Mark rivers, nearly 185,000 residents call Breda home. And we’re happy you’re one of us now! Breda offers an ideal setting in which to live, work, study and enjoy the Dutch experience.
Our city Breda, the capital of the West-Brabant region, is the ninth biggest city in The Netherlands.
Breda is a historical yet trendy city within a medieval setting strewn with buildings from the time when the nobles and royals of the Nassau family lived here. The rich culture and history of Breda date back more than 800 years. From the Great Church (Grote Kerk) to the Chassé Theatre, you’re surrounded by a mesmerizing blend of old and new.
Modern sculptures and murals complement the royal tapestry of historic architecture, cultural centers, festivals and green spaces, giving Breda its universal charm.
But Breda is not just about the buildings. It’s also about the people (Bredanaars), atight-knit and welcoming community with a population large enough to support world-class culture, yet small enough to foster opportunities for individuals and small businesses.
With concerts, races and celebrations happening throughout the year, and easy access to nature preserves, urban parks and green spaces, you won’t have a hard time finding something to do every weekend. Our city is a cozy and friendly place where you can find cafés, shops and restaurants around every street corner.
Once you’ve experienced the city’s ambiance, you’ll understand what makes Breda a great place to live, study and work.
Breda is located at the heart of the Rhine-Scheldt Delta, between the leading economic center of Amsterdam and the internationally important logistics centers of Rotterdam and Antwerp. This makes Breda the gateway to Western Europe – both geographically and economically.
A significant number of European business centers can be reached within one hour by highway, by air and by (inter)national rail (including the rapid HSL link that connects Breda to the European high-speed rail network). This gives Breda outstanding accessibility within reach of more than ten million people.
Breda is further connected by two major international airports: Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) and Zaventem Airport (Brussels) are less than 100 km away. The airports in Antwerp, Eindhoven and Rotterdam are also easily accessible transportation hubs.
Breda is also a logistics hotspot in terms of education. Breda University is a specialized training and expertise center in the fields of urban planning, logistics, hospitality and leisure management.
“The ship should not wait for the quay, but the quay for the ship.” This is the saying embraced by neighboring Rotterdam while growing into one of the largest ports in the world. To the south is the port of Antwerp, the second largest in Europe after Rotterdam. Breda is located ideally between these two ports. With its vast network of business parks, Breda is ready to receive new industries, logistics centers and multinational companies.
In recent years, Breda has welcomed multinationals such as Amgen, Lamb Weston Meijer, Scania, Zeiss, Janssen, Exxon Mobil, Zimmer Biomet and the Dutch Royal Air Force. Also major logistics organizations, such as Abbott, Jumbo and Samsung, have selected Breda as the site for their Benelux distribution centers.