This Is The Most Bizarre International Border In The World

In a quiet pocket of Europe lies one of the world’s most peculiar international borders. Here, a short stroll can take you in and out of a nation dozens of times. You can sip beer in one country and accidentally spill it into another. In some houses, the kitchen may be in one nation while the bathroom belongs to another.

This unusual setup exists in the twin towns of Baarle-Nassau, which is Dutch, and Baarle-Hertog, a jigsaw of Belgian enclaves surrounded by the Netherlands. The hodgepodge border snakes its way through streets, shops, restaurants, and homes, marked by inconspicuous white crosses on the ground.

Baarle’s bizarre border situation stems from a long history of medieval land treaties, feudal allegiances, and modern nation-building. 

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the region was a patchwork of feudal territories controlled by the Duke of Brabant (linked to modern Belgium) and the Lord of Breda (aligned with what became the Netherlands), who made several territorial trades in exchange for protection. 

After Belgium gained independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 1830s, a border was drawn through this part of Western Europe, but lawmakers quickly encountered what they called the "impossibility of drawing a continuous line between these two communes."

And so, the town of Baarle was given special consideration. The treaty drawn up in 1842 explains: "The status quo shall be maintained both with regard to the villages of Baarle-Nassau (Netherlands) and Baerle-Duc [now Baarle-Hertog](Belgium) and with regard to the ways crossing them."

The arrangement continued awkwardly for decades but eventually stabilized and now functions peacefully — except, locals joke, when Belgium plays the Netherlands at soccer. 

Since the 1990s, Belgium and the Netherlands have been members of the European Union’s Schengen Area, which allows for passport-free travel, so crossing these convoluted borders is no problem. It also helps that Dutch is spoken on both sides, and both nations share a culture filled with fries dipped in mayonnaise, waffles, beer, and cheese.

The complicated arrangement gives rise to countless strange situations, though, especially when the law is concerned.

Under Dutch law, it’s only possible to buy fireworks in the run-up to the New Year. However, you’re legally allowed to buy them all year round in Belgium. This means the shops in Baarle-Nassau are banned from selling the products most of the time, but shoppers can walk down the street to buy them in Baarle-Hertog.

In the Netherlands, the drinking age is 18, but just steps away in Belgium, people can legally buy beer and wine at 16. So if a Dutch bartender turns away a group of teenagers, they can cross the street and raise a glass of Belgian beer on the other side of the border.

In the recent past, differences between laws meant restaurants in the Netherlands had to shut earlier than those in Belgium. Fortunately for some well-positioned establishments, they were able to work around the restriction by moving diners’ tables to the Belgian side of the restaurant. 

Tax differences also create a kind of cross-border bargain hunt. Locals often cross from one side of town to the other to get the best deals, depending on the product.

"Petrol is cheaper in Belgium. Cigarettes are cheaper in Belgium. But food tends to be cheaper in the Netherlands," Ad Tuijtelaars, a local man born and raised in Baarle, told AFP in 2024. 

Baarle has been described as "Europe in Miniature," a medley of interconnected cultures with long ties that, despite some historical quarrels, largely coexist in harmony today. For some, the town has become a symbol of the European Union itself, like a living argument for closer integration among member states.

"We have a town here of two nationalities and I think Europe should be one. You see in a town such as this that Europe actually isn't one at all. I think that's a pity," said Theo van der Veerdonk, a 64-year-old lecturer, also speaking to AFP.

"I want more Europe and more integration, to make Europe closer and better... Here we've got two town halls, two police services, two fire services... and that's completely crazy," he added.