Breda Local Customs

Looking for a redneck experience? Everything is possible in Breda! The area that hosts, anually, the Air Baloon Fiesta and the American Cars' show has it's local bar called Texas. Except for the name there's nothing American about this bar but you'll definitely get a chance see how some of the Dutch "boeren" (farmers) enjoy their leisure time. The whole house hosts the bar which serves only a few brands of beer, has pool table and darts board. Besides this you can always drink your beer in the backyard while watching the roosters, chicken, ducks, and even ostridges and a llama.
Make sure you speak some basic Dutch otherwise nobody will understand you, English is not spoken in Texas (the bar that is)

During the summer, and especially during the summer there are festivals, art, dance, music, theater, lots of activity, so, just try to find out in advance or, if you find yourself in the middle of sometime as I did, just try to enjoy it.

In the weapon of Breda there are three white Andreas-crosses on a red shield (Andreas was the saint that didn;t wanted to be crusified in the same way as Jezus as he was to humble for that - he requested the cross to be diagonal). These were originally from the neighborhood that Breda belonged to, but were granted to the town when it got it's cityrights.

In the Southern provinces Northern Brabant and Limburg, the majority of the people are roman catholic. In both provinces however this is taken quite differently as in Limburg they do practice it more and in Brabant there's a lit less of this. Here they more take only the benefits of it, by celebrating the yearly religious festivals in an intensive way (for example Carnaval), while not knowing what the interior of a church looks like and what it all actually means. A pitty, but that's just my opinion.

The visitors and staff of the amusementpark will always try to help you when you have questions. Most people (especially the staff) speak english and some (especially the staff) speak other languages too. On the picture: Blaga and me in the fowergardens of the Efteling.

Monumenten (Will be edited in English soon!)

Breda verwerft stadsrechten in 1252. Is daarmee één van de eerste stadjes van noordelijk Brabant. Om het plaatsje goed te kunnen verdedigen, wordt het aan het begin van de 14e eeuw ommuurd. Rondom de stad liggen de singels. Op strategische punten staan houten wachttorentjes. Onder invloed van de Hollandse Edelman Jan van Polanen ontstaat een klein Middeleeuws stadje. Ziet u het voor u? Houten huizen. Herbergen. Druk bevolkt. Nauwe straatjes en deels onbestrate paden. Zonder riolering. U hoort het slaan der koperslagers. De ketellappers. De schoenmakers. U wandelt langs lakenwevers, mandenmakers en andere ambachtslieden.

En op dinsdagochtend (precies zoals nu) bezoekt u de weekmarkt. Die is er sinds 1321 tot op de dag van vandaag.

Of u nu in de Middeleeuwen leeft of in de 90-er jaren van de 20e eeuw... er is één monument waaraan u als naderende reiziger Breda al van verre herkent.

De toren van de Grote of Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk. Overigens ook dominant in beeld vanaf vrijwel elk punt in Breda. In totaal is er 125 jaar aan gewerkt. Het bouwwerk is rijk bewerkt aan de buitenzijde en heeft, zelfs na de beeldenstorm van 1566, een indrukwekkend interieur.

Equestrian sports lovers can enjoy the spectacle of the International HORSE EVENT Breda, the Holland Casino Derby and the International Four-in-hand Event.

Fun-RUNNERS, practised joggers and professional runners all set off together at the start of the annual Breda Canal Run (Singelloop). In just a short period of time this athletics event has earned the title of Autumn Classic. Besides this the Haagse Beemden Run is also popular sport event. (pic)

CARNIVAL The most popular folk festival of the Catholic South of the Netherlands and it's a Roman Catholic custom. Everybody dresses up or wears masks and dance and sings to crazy songs. The keyword is to have fun together. It's for 4 to 5 days in the end of the winter.

You can taste the CULINARY DELIGHTS of the famous Breda kitchen during the Festival des Amuses. And experience the gourmet pleasures enjoyed by the Bourgundian people of Breda. Streets filled with food stalls, piled high with mouth watering snacks and delicacies...with music, street theatre and lots of activity all around.

Amsterdam may be a place to smoke pot but don't forget that it's not like that everywhere in Holland. People simple aren't as used to smelling pot, second most smokers are foreigner (in my town especially French) and it's not allowed to smoke on e.g. terraces, clubs, disco's, pubs, restaurants etc etc.