Kasteel van Breda

The Kasteel van Breda, the Castle of Breda, is a large moated castle in the centre of the city, and it has served as the Royal Military Academy since 1828. That means the interior is closed to the public and used by cadets, but the exterior can be seen from the Kasteelplein, the square in front, and from the surrounding park, and the sight is impressive. The castle's towers, brick walls and wide moat give it a majestic appearance, and it is among the most important historic buildings in the south of the Netherlands.

The site has a long history. A fortress stood here in the Middle Ages, and in the fourteenth century, the Lords of Breda, who later inherited the title of Counts of Nassau, owned the area. In the sixteenth century, Count Henry III of Nassau transformed the old fortress into a Renaissance palace, employing the Italian architect Tommaso Vincidor, who brought the style of Italy to the Low Countries. The castle became the seat of the Nassau family, whose descendants, the House of Orange-Nassau, are the Dutch royal family, and it is often described as the cradle of the dynasty.

In the early years of the Dutch revolt, William of Orange, who inherited Breda, used the castle as one of his residences, and later it passed through several hands. In the seventeenth century, the town and castle were part of the fortified frontier of the Republic, and Breda was the site of important diplomacy. In 1660, the exiled King Charles II of England issued the Declaration of Breda from here, setting out the terms of his return to the throne, and in 1667 the Treaty of Breda ended the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The castle was later used as a barracks and then given to the military academy.

The building has Gothic and Renaissance features that reflect its development. The facade is long and symmetrical, with turrets and large windows, and the courtyards and ornamental gardens add to the effect. A star-shaped moat surrounds the castle, a reminder of its use as a defensive structure. The park behind it, called the Valkenberg, is a pleasant place for a walk and is open to the public.

The castle suits visitors who like history and architecture, and it is easily combined with the Grote Kerk, the Prinsenhof and the Broek district. Photographs are best from the front square. Because the interior is closed, check whether open days are being held, which sometimes happen.