The castle of Breda was once the ancestral castle of the Nassaus, the ancestors of our royal family.
Due to the important international role of the Nassaus, the castle was a significant place in Europe from the 15th to the 17th century.  

Long history
The Kasteel van Breda has a long history. As early as 1198, there was a fortress on this site. The Castle came into the hands of the Nassaus in the early 15th century through the marriage of the German count Engelbrecht of Nassau with the Breda Johanna of Polanen. 

 Over the centuries, the Castle has been almost continuously renovated.

From Renaissance palace to KMA
In the sixteenth century, Count Hendrik III of Nassau had the castle radically renovated into a Renaissance palace. He brought Thomas Vincidor de Bologna, a pupil of Raphael, to Breda for this purpose. With the arrival of the Royal Military Academy in 1826, the castle was simplified again, and many of the Renaissance ornaments disappeared.

Stedelijk Museum Breda
Stedelijk Museum Breda has an extensive multimedia exhibition on the Breda Nassaus. This includes a special route for children: the Family Trail. 

Guided tours
Because the Castle is on military grounds, it can only be visited very limited. Gilde de Baronie regularly offers guided tours of the grounds. You must register in advance for this.
More information about the guided tours. 

Explore Royal Breda hotspot
The Castle of Breda is part of the Explore Royal Breda route.  This route takes you on an exploration of the places that remind of Breda's royal roots and connects surprising new places with history. Curious? Check out the route here.