3 minute read

Baarle: A town where the border between Belgium and the Netherlands zigzags through streets, houses, and even beds. Baarle: A town where the border between Belgium and the Netherlands zigzags through streets, houses, and even beds.

How a tiny town became a puzzle of borders between Belgium and the Netherlands

By Peter Teoh, Science Writer

Introduction

Imagine living in a town where crossing into another country could mean stepping from one side of a street to the other, or even from one room to the next in your own house. This isn’t a story from a fantasy novel but a real-life geography oddity called Baarle — a town literally split between two countries: Belgium and the Netherlands. Let’s explore why Baarle has the strangest border in the world and what makes it so fascinating.

A Patchwork of Borders: What Makes Baarle So Strange?

Baarle is actually two towns: Baarle-Nassau in the Netherlands and Baarle-Hertog in Belgium. But what makes it uniquely strange is the way their borders are drawn. Instead of one clear dividing line, Baarle has more than 20 tiny pieces of Belgian land (called exclaves) scattered like puzzle pieces inside Dutch territory, and even smaller Dutch pieces inside those Belgian exclaves. This has created a complex map where the border zigzags around streets, houses, and even individual buildings.[6]

How Did This Happen?

The origin of this confusing border dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. At that time, lands were owned by different lords and families, who exchanged parcels of land through treaties and marriages, often without clear, straight boundaries. Over centuries, these agreements stuck, even as countries formed and modern borders were drawn. The result is a medieval patchwork that modern governments have had to accept.[6]

What’s Life Like in Baarle?

The complex border means everyday life has some unusual challenges and quirks:

  • Crossing Borders Daily: People might cross the border multiple times a day just by walking around town, sometimes without even realizing it.

  • Border in Buildings: Some houses and shops are literally divided by the border. For example, a door might open into Belgium, but the living room is in the Netherlands. This affects things like taxes, postal services, and even legal rules.[1][6]

  • Shared Services: Despite the complexity, the two towns cooperate on public services like schools, emergency response, and utilities, often finding practical solutions together.[1]

Other Famous Divided Towns

Baarle isn’t the only town split between countries, but it’s one of the most complex:

  • Lungwa (India-Myanmar): A village where the chief’s house is split by the border, with half in India and half in Myanmar. The village is mainly governed by tribal customs rather than government laws.[2]

  • Cieszyn (Poland) and Český Těšín (Czech Republic): A town divided by the Olza River after World War I, where two countries share cultural ties but have separate governments and infrastructures.[2][5]

  • Sault Ste. Marie (USA-Canada): Two cities with the same name split by the border, each with its own laws, economy, and daily life, but strong connections between residents.[3][4]

Why Borders Matter

Borders define which country’s laws, taxes, and services apply. In Baarle, this means neighbors might pay different taxes, follow different rules, or use different postal codes, all while living just a few steps apart. This challenges governments and residents to cooperate in creative ways, showing that borders are not just lines on a map but living parts of people’s daily lives.

Closing Thoughts

Baarle’s story is a fascinating example of how history, geography, and human culture come together to create one of the strangest borders on Earth. It reminds us that the world isn’t always divided by neat lines, but sometimes by puzzles that people have learned to live with — and even enjoy.

Side Notes

  • Exclave: A piece of land belonging to one country but completely surrounded by another.
  • Enclave: A territory entirely surrounded by another territory.
  • Baarle has more than 20 Belgian exclaves inside the Netherlands and some Dutch enclaves inside those Belgian exclaves.

Other Crazy Borders You Might Like:

  • The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) — one of the most heavily guarded borders.
  • The US-Canada Border — the world’s longest undefended border.
  • The town of Nicosia — the only divided capital city in Europe (Cyprus).

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