If a person comes up to you and tells you that the border of two countries passes through the middle of their house, you wouldn't believe it, however, this scenario is true for the residents of Europe's Baarle - a village straddling the Dutch-Belgian border where opposite sides of the road are in different countries.
Notably, the city of Baarle is situated between the borders of two countries- the Netherlands and Belgium. The borders of these two countries pass between several houses located in Baarle. Here, people can take one step in the Netherlands and the other in Belgium. A lot of community buildings, restaurants, cafe houses, etc located here are half in the Netherlands and half in Belgium.
The area near the Netherlands is known as Baarle-Nassau, while the area near Belgium is called Baarle-Hertog. The boundary line is marked with a white cross.
There is a white cross inside many houses, shops, and restaurants too. In many houses, the bed is situated above the white cross, that is, the residents of Baarle can reach the other country just by changing the side they are sleeping on.
According to a report in Deutsche Welle, everything in Baarle is two - its has two names, there are two different municipalities and post offices too. However, all these are controlled by the same committee. Due to its uniqueness and interesting border, Baarle often remains in the headlines. Tourists from all over the world come to see it and stand on the unique border and take photos.
