Breda

Breda was the seat of the House of Nassau in the Low Countries from 1404 and effectively the family's home town before they became the Dutch royal house - William of Orange grew up here and the Grote Kerk holds the Nassau tombs, including the Renaissance monument to Engelbrecht II with four kneeling figures carrying the slab, one of the finest tomb sculptures north of the Alps. The castle became a military academy in 1828 and remains one, so it is not generally open. In 1590 Breda was retaken from the Spanish by hiding seventy soldiers in a peat barge that was allowed through the water gate, a trick that worked and is remembered locally with a replica. The Grote Markt has cafes on all sides and the city has a large carnival, a beguinage still occupied, and the Begijnhof herb garden.

What you actually see

• The Nassau tombs - including the Engelbrecht monument with four kneeling bearers.
• The Orange family's home town - their Low Countries seat from 1404.
• The peat barge trick - the 1590 capture by hiding soldiers in a boat, with a replica.
• A working beguinage - the courtyard still occupied, with its herb garden.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Honest expectations

The castle is a military academy and closed except on rare open days. The church tower climb is seasonal. Carnival in February shuts down normal visiting entirely. Museums close on Mondays.

Nearby

Bergen op Zoom is west; Tilburg is east.