Bree (; , ) is a municipality and city in the Flemish province of Limburg, Belgium. In December 2021, Bree had a total population of 16,097. The total area is which gives it a population density of . The mayor of Bree is Sietse Wils. Toponymy In Latin sources from the 15th to the 17th century, Bree was frequently referred to as Breda.Van Bastelaer, René. Les estamps de Peter Bruegel l'ancien. Bruxelles: Librairie Nationale d'Art & d'Histoire, 1908, p. 3.
Culture
Cultural center
De Zeepziederij, the cultural center of Bree. This center was known till 2019 as the cultural center of De Breughel.
Musea
Stadsmuseum Bree, located in the old town hall Rijtuigmuseum Bree De Gulden Tas, the smallest coffee roastery in Belgium, founded in 1995
Events
The yearly Sint-Niklaasmarkt on 5 December, organized from the start of the 17th century The yearly Goat market which takes place on the first Monday after the first week of October. Many years ago the best goats were sold here, now it is a folklore-event
Climate Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).Climate Summary for Bree, Belgium
Demographics Bree had a population of 16,097 (7,991 men and 8,106 women) as of 6 December 2021, 9% of the population has a foreign nationality.
Income The average income in Bree is €18,659 per year as of 2019.
Notable inhabitants Sky Remans, Olympic snowboarder in 2026 Jaak Broekx, oldest man in Belgium from 2021 to 2023 Kim Clijsters, tennis player, former WTA number 1 Lei Clijsters, football player, father of Kim Thibaut Courtois, football player for Real Madrid and the Belgium national football team Gert Doumen, former football player Stefan Everts, motocross racer, 10-time Motocross World Champion Johnny Galecki, American actor, born in Bree; raised in the United States Bas Leinders, racing driver, tested for the Minardi Formula 1 team in 2004, born in Bree Max Verstappen, four time Formula One World Champion driver for Red Bull Racing
Twin towns – sister cities Bree is twinned with: Geldern, Germany Salomó, Spain Volpago, Italy
In addition, Bree established economic cooperation with Yangzhou, China. See also Bree vs Breda – Overview of primary sources in which Bree is referred to as Breda References
External links
Official website