Belgium > Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog

I slept well and for a long time last night. The sun greets me as I open the curtains. We have breakfast again on the second floor. After breakfast, we pack our luggage and check out. With our bags, we walk through the center of Hasselt one last time. In about twenty minutes, we walk to the parking garage. Before leaving Hasselt, we fill up the car. The price difference compared to the Netherlands is more than fifty cents per liter. After that, we set the navigation to Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog. Baarle-Hertog is a Belgian enclave surrounded by the Netherlands. Around Baarle, the border frequently shifts between the Netherlands and Belgium. Some houses and shops are located directly on the border. As a result, these buildings have two house numbers—one Belgian and one Dutch.

Belgium - The border between the Netherlands and Belgium runs through the house at Loveren 2

As we walk through the village, we notice that in some places the border is marked with white crosses. Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog are mainly a tourist attraction, which also means there are many cafés and restaurants. At a terrace, we order coffee with apple pie. Afterwards, we ask the waitress where the often-photographed house on the border is located—the one where the border runs exactly under the front door. It turns out to be about a ten-minute walk. It’s fun and amusing to see this building. We finish our visit to Baarle with a stop at De Biergrens, a specialty shop with hundreds of types of beer. In the early afternoon, we drive back home.