Baarle-Hertog

Baarle is a single built-up town divided between Baarle-Hertog, which is Belgian, and Baarle-Nassau, which is Dutch, and the division is not a line but a scatter: twenty-two Belgian enclaves inside the Netherlands, several of which contain Dutch counter-enclaves inside them, the result of medieval land transactions between the Duke of Brabant and the Lords of Breda that were never rationalised. The border is marked on the pavements with white crosses and metal studs and runs through gardens, shops and at least one house where the front door had to be assigned to one country. Each half has its own town hall, church, police and postal service. The tourist office sells a map, which is the practical way to follow it.

What you'll find

• Border crosses in the pavement - the line marked through streets and shops.
• Enclaves within enclaves - Dutch parcels inside Belgian ones inside the Netherlands.
• Two of everything - separate town halls, churches and services.
• Doors assigned to a country - houses split by the line.

When to go

April to October for walking the border. Half a day. Buy the map at either tourist office first, since the enclaves are impossible to follow without it. Shops in each half keep different holiday closures, which is part of the curiosity.

Good to know

It is a curiosity rather than a sight, and once you have walked the line there is little else. The town is otherwise ordinary. Without the map it is invisible. Public transport is limited and a car is easier.

Nearby

Turnhout is south; the Dutch town of Breda lies north.

Key facts