Spaniard's Hole

The Spanjaardsgat is a water gate that lies between the Garnet Tower and the Pigeon Tower of Breda Castle in the center of Breda. The water gate can only be seen from the outside.

The Spaniard's Hole symbolizes the hole that the Spaniards left in their defenses in 1590.
Skipper Adriaen van Bergen is said to have smuggled a number of soldiers into the city to drive out the Spaniards (in reality, however, this happened elsewhere). Van Bergen sailed on with his peat barge to the water gate of Breda Castle on the current Academiesingel. According to other sources, Adriaen van Bergen did not sail himself.
The Spanjaardsgat was built 20 years after the event with the Peat Ship of Breda.

The Duiventoren (right) is used as an information centre for the Dutch Defence Academy, of which the KMA has become a part since 2005.
On the first floor, the Garnet Tower (left) houses a bar for permanent military and civilian Defence personnel. The ground floor houses a Roman Catholic chapel.

Wim Blankers