There’s a Town Where the International Border Runs Through Houses and Shops
In recent years, borders have been a steady fixture in headlines tied to immigration debates, security plans, policy arguments, and televised speeches. They appear as talking points in elections and late-night monologues, usually framed as dividing lines that require negotiation, enforcement, or political promises. One European town, however, treats its border in a very different way.
Baarle, shared by Belgium and the Netherlands, has a border that runs through sidewalks, shop floors, and even private homes. Its street markers indicate where one jurisdiction ends and the other begins, and the route follows patterns set centuries ago through medieval property agreements. Crossing a threshold can place you in a different country.
A Patchwork That Took Centuries To Create
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Tos
The town’s unusual layout goes back to land deals made in the late 1100s between the lord of Breda and the Duke of Brabant. They divided the area into many small pieces based on how the land was being used at that time. These pieces stayed the same for centuries and were never combined into larger sections.
When Belgium became a country in the 1800s, surveyors tried to map the new border. They skipped Baarle because the land was divided into too many small, mixed plots. Since no one cleaned up those old divisions, the leftover pieces eventually formed the 30 enclaves that exist today.
Belgium now has 22 little pockets of land inside Dutch territory. The Netherlands also has a few pockets inside those Belgian areas. On a map, the enclaves look like small islands inside bigger islands. People use the names Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau to refer to the Belgian and Dutch parts of the town.
A Town Split Down The Middle
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Jack Soley
Crossing the border in Baarle happens on regular streets with no booths or officers. White crosses labeled NL or B show the exact line, and it runs through shops, cafés, garages, and even living rooms.
Locals use a simple rule: a house belongs to the country where its front door is. This once caused a Belgian woman to be counted as Dutch until she changed the position of a window and door so her home matched her original nationality.
Public services also reflect the mixed layout. There are two town halls, two postal systems, and two mayors working in the same area. Joint committees determine who is responsible for tasks such as road maintenance, public parks, or utility repairs. Since the border can shift from one country to another in just a few steps, every shared space requires a clear agreement.
Daily Life On The Border
Residents pay attention to pricing laws, holiday rules, alcohol regulations, and shopping restrictions because they change across the line. Fireworks may be bought year-round on one side but on limited dates on the other.
During Europe’s Covid policies, restrictions created a strange split: salons open on the Dutch side were closed on the Belgian side, and one clothing shop had to rope off part of its floor according to the rules that applied that week.
Travel guides highlight tables where diners place a plate in one country and a drink in another, and the novelty draws steady streams of tourists.
Travelers also learn about the cooperation between the two municipalities. Administrators meet often, work out practical solutions, and keep the town running in a unified way despite the paperwork behind it.