Bizarre borders and double-take enclaves
Sovereign microstates and political anomalies
Natural wonders that defy expectations
Cultural pockets and linguistic islands
Why did the town of Llivia remain Spanish despite being entirely surrounded by France?
schopenhauer Sort Europe's strangest borders to discover the bizarre history behind these geographical oddities.
schopenhauer Llivia is a Spanish town completely surrounded by French territory, a leftover from a 17th-century treaty.
How often does Pheasant Island change its official governing country between Spain and France?
Which town is famous for containing over twenty Belgian and Dutch enclaves woven together?
schopenhauer Baarle Border Enclaves
Dutch on the left, / Belgian on the right, / one split door!
schopenhauer Pheasant Island is an uninhabited river island that changes its nationality every six months between France and Spain.
Which river contains Pheasant Island, the world's oldest jointly governed territory?
Border-splitting beds: In the Arbez Franco-Suisse hotel, a border line runs directly through several rooms, allowing guests to sleep with their head in France and feet in Switzerland.
Where is the Hotel Arbez, famous for having an international border run through its guest rooms?
What determines the official nationality of a border-split building in Baarle-Hertog?
A portion of territory entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. The Belgian town of Baarle-Hertog exists as twenty-two separate enclaves completely surrounded by the Netherlands.