Kasteelplein

The Kasteelplein was closely linked to the Kasteel of Breda, the former ancestral castle of the Nassaus, where the Royal Military Academy is now located. Fights around the castle often took place here. During the time of Alva, the Kasteelplein was an execution site. Protestants who were tried by the Inquisition (the Blood Council) met their martyrdom here and were burned publicly.

Blokhuis
To the right of the Stadtholder's Gate of the castle, you can see the so-called Blokhuis, where William van Oranje lived. In the locations of the windows, left and right of the gate, there were ornate open galleries in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Queen Wilhelmina Pavilion
The brown-grey square building at the corner of Cingelstraat was built as a secondary school in 1867 and was thoroughly restored in 2008. Since then, it has been called the Queen Wilhelmina Pavilion. It now houses a permanent exhibition about the history of the castle and its inhabitants throughout the centuries. It is part of the KMA building complex and is open to the public on Tuesdays.

Justinus van Nassau
The building 'Justinus van Nassau' on the other corner of the Kasteelplein and Cingelstraat dates back to the seventeenth century. It has served various functions. King Louis Napoleon stayed there, it was a court, the official residence of the governor of the KMA, and it served for years as an Ethnological Museum.

Stadtholder William III
High on his pedestal, there is also the statue of Stadtholder William III on the Kasteelplein.