Welcome to Breda
Breda isn’t just like any other city in the Netherlands. People from Breda love their city and anyone who works, studies or visits here will also experience our warm hospitality.
People quickly feel at home in our Brabant city, which combines the best of both worlds on many fronts. Our ambitions match those of larger European cities and at the same time, we cherish the bond with the villages around us. Together we enjoy all the metropolitan amenities as well as being able to relax in the nature that embraces Breda on all sides. It is not without reason that our motto is "Breda brings it together"! This applies to all those different characteristics that make our city attractive to everyone for their reason. And - at least as important - it applies to the way we treat each other: together. You are welcome to discover our beloved city and experience it for yourself.
Strategic international location
The city of Breda locates in the southern part of the Netherlands and lies to its’ advantage. Breda is centrally located between the European regions around the main ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp; between the financial centers of London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt; directly connected to the European high-speed train network that provides access into mainland Europe; and also, via the highways within an hour’s drive from Schiphol and four other European airports.
Besides the physical connections, the fiber optic connections, 4 and 5G, and many “free wifi” facilities strengthen our digital opportunities. We’re a lively and inspiring city to live in, considering our power lies in collaborating with entrepreneurs, education and government to innovate together and elevating experiences together.
Breda’s ambiance
We are and will always be Burgundian. After all, the ancestors of our current monarchy resided here a few centuries ago. The regal allure guarantees many pleasant experiences, from studying and working to living and recreation. This appreciation for the rich history does not prevent us from innovating in creative ways. Just as our craftsmanship and work ethic enable outstanding performance. The urban developments in Breda are surprising. In the past 25 years, we not only forged plans for a doubling of the city's centre, the reopening of the harbour district and the extension of our city river De Mark; we also made it happen. Just as we, together with the government, the province of Noord-Brabant and market participants, realized a beautiful new area for living and working around our new public transport terminal: Cross Marks. And we are not done yet. Breda has more beautiful things in store. We’re on our way to become the first green city in a park, where our green environment and sustainable drive will be a role model for many others to follow. This goes in line with our 'way of living' and our ambition to be a 'green' city, literally and figuratively.
A city full of talents
In Breda we cherish everyone's talent, and we offer opportunities to develop this. Education has an excellent reputation nationally and internationally and we are delivering remarkable performances in collaboration with the business community and government. They stand out even more because of our aspiration. Because, although our economy has a healthy breadth and diversity, we are fully committed to applied technology and creativity. A cluster in which we already have considerable growth potential in itself, but also the industry that is uniquely capable of driving innovations there and encouraging SMEs to adopt new digital- business models.
Incidentally, this choice does not detract from our other top sectors, in which logistics is still highly regarded. West Brabant is and will continue to be a logistics hotspot and our curriculum excel in that discipline. The crossovers with our clusters "robotisation" and "gaming" are dazzling. And in this area too, Breda educational programs are among the best in the world. Avans, Breda University of Applied Sciences -BUAS, the Dutch Defense Academy (Dutch only) annually attracts tens of thousands of students from the Netherlands and abroad. CURIO and De Rooi Pannen (Dutch only) also enable young people with their wide range of vocational training courses to develop their talents. Breda has a wonderful pool of talent that can easily find its way to business.
Breda brings it together
The best of all worlds. Town and village. Dynamics and relaxation. Creativity, innovations, technology, digitisation, craft and care. Metropolitan facilities and fine-meshed social networks, welcoming visitors. Culture with international allure, such as BredaPhoto, Blind Walls Gallery, De Stilte, Breda Jazz Festival (Dutch only), Playgrounds, Chassé Theater and bustling club life. And last but not least, we innovate in music as we’re the hometown of DJs like Tiësto, Hardwell and Dannick. Breda Brings It Together!
Our cities ambition
With so much quality as a basis, Breda has an excellent springboard for realizing ambitions. And you can bet we have these. As a smart city, we have chosen from all the opportunities and challenges and formulated three strategic ambitions that fit seamlessly with our DNA. Ambitions with which we build on our past, utilizing contemporary talent and potential to be limitless, welcoming and green in the future.
Limitless, literally and figuratively. Breda is an internationally oriented city, a hub within Europe between cities like Copenhagen, Paris or Berlin. Faster even if we digitally follow the connection with all those cities and their inhabitants and as a 'smart city' to connect and work innovatively together or enjoy creativity by art and culture.
More and more international companies are choosing to establish in Breda, not only because of the location but also due to our growing international community who feel at home in Breda. The international community enthusiastically share experiences together through for instance Breda Internationals along with where our youngest international generations meet at International School Breda. We also make sure our internationals go through a smooth transition when moving to Breda with the support of our partner Holland Expat Center South.
Welcoming, we will continue to excel. We imagine the question behind the question of visitors, companies, residents and students. Why do they come to Breda? How can we help them experience the city optimally? How do we give a "personal touch" to their day in Breda or a "sweet memory" to their study time? How do start-ups make the move to scale-up? But also: how do we make the life of people as comfortable as possible in their own city. Without doubt, we have a whole range of digital and technologically advanced options for this. Just as important are the moments of "digital detox". We are happy to facilitate there too. Breda has great opportunities everywhere - and often in unexpected places - to meet each other in a lifelike way.
Green, a beautiful colour with many nuances. Breda likes to use the entire palette to make life even more beautiful and better, now and in the future. This means that we are fully committed to sustainability to offer next generations just as much green nature appeal. After we’ve been honoured to earn the ‘Best City Centre in the Netherlands’ from 2017 to 2020, our next desire is to be the first European city in a park by 2030. A park that extends right into the heart of the city where everyone can breathe and feel nature close to home.
Discover what Breda has to offer to further develop your business; whether deciding for a suitable location next to a motorway A16 between Rotterdam and Antwerp in Rithmeesterpark or strategically choosing for our brand new high-end international office district 5Tracks (Dutch only) right in the city centre and close to the central station. Our team of experts can assist your company in every stage of establishing or expanding operations.
Join our community - Become part of our limitless, green and welcoming work-life blend in Breda!
