6 of the Most Unusual Borders Around the World

Border disputes have been responsible for wars and mass casualties for centuries. The harrowing process of mapping and redrawing these boundaries presents political challenges, among others, as the desire for power and territory is, unfortunately, never-ending. 

While many borders are points of conflict with heavy military or government presence, some are curiosity-piquing oddities.

Across the globe, borders double as destinations: a house split in two, a tiny bridge where you can jump from one country to the next, or even a maze that meets in three countries! 

Here are six of the world’s most unusual borders.

1. Labyrint Drielandenpunt
2. Ponte Internacional do Marco
3. Hotel Arbez
4. Baarle House
5. Michigan's Lost Peninsula
6. The Slash

Labyrint Drielandenpunt

Vaals, Netherlands

Labyrint Drielandenpunt in Vaals, Netherlands, isn’t just a maze; it’s also the border between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. This unique spot, where the three countries meet, sits at the Netherlands’ highest elevation and, according to Atlas Obscura, holds the title of "Europe’s largest outdoor shrub maze."

But arriving at the maze doesn’t mean you’ve reached the border… yet. The actual meeting point is at the center, and finding it can take up to an hour; allegedly, it’s not easy!

Labyrint Drielandenpunt is more than a border; it’s a destination for visitors of all ages, complete with playgrounds and fountains for kids, and clay shooting and archery for adults.

Ponte Internacional do Marco

Esperança, Portugal

The world’s shortest international bridge connects Spain and Portugal, and it’s so small you can literally hop from one country into the other. Ponte Internacional do Marco spans just 10.4 feet and wasn’t built until the early 2000s.

Spain’s La Codosera and Portugal’s Arronches meet in the middle of the bridge, open only to walkers and two-wheeled vehicles. A wooden post is the only marker that tells you you’re stepping into a new country.

Hotel Arbez

Les Rousses, Switzerland

Hotel Arbez in Les Rousses, Switzerland, is divided by two countries: half in Switzerland, half in France. It’s so perfectly split that a walk up the stairs can take you from one country into the next. Hungry guests cross into France to grab food from the bar, then step back into Switzerland between bites.

The hotel’s honeymoon suite is literally split down the middle of the bed, so you could be sleeping in France while your partner dozes off in Switzerland, just centimeters apart.

This wasn’t always the case. Before 1862, La Cure, the village home to Hotel Arbez, was entirely French. A border dispute transferred half the town to Switzerland. During WWII, German soldiers were allowed only in the French part of the hotel, while the French Resistance hid in the Swiss upper floors.

Baarle House

Baarle-Hertog, Belgium

In Baarle, a town between Belgium and the Netherlands, there’s a residence with a border running right through its front door. The border “crisscrosses” the town, making it truly difficult to tell which country some homes belong to.

To solve this, officials ruled that a home’s country is determined by where its front door is…except for one property, whose door sits directly on the border. That house has two addresses, one Belgian and one Dutch. Even more unusually, the owners can step between countries just by walking from the kitchen to the living room, and they can choose utilities from either nation, though Belgium’s are cheaper.

Today, the house is a private residence, but during WWII, Dutch soldiers were stationed there. They could sleep on the Belgian side, but working there was illegal, so they had to move their desks to the Netherlands side of the house.

Michigan's Lost Peninsula

Erie, Michigan

Only 140 people live in a very unique portion of Erie, Michigan, mainly because it’s surrounded by Ohio, well, sort of. Located in Ohio’s southeastern corner, this “Lost Peninsula” isn’t even connected to Michigan. 

In the 1830s, both Michigan and Ohio wanted Toledo, sparking the “bloodless” Toledo War. The compromise (or should we say a stalemate) left one neighborhood of Michigan’s Erie Township stranded on the Ohio side of the Ottawa River. Talk about an identity crisis! 

There’s no sign, just a stone outside a marina entrance with “state line” inscribed, “Ohio” on one side and “Michigan” on the other.

The Slash

United States - Canada Border

"The Slash" sounds like a horror movie villain, but it’s actually a peculiar border carved between the United States and Canada. Because the US-Canada border is the longest in the world, it’s hard to imagine a physical border, but one exists for some distance. 

This section is a 20-foot-wide clearing through the forest, literally slashing the landscape in two sections: Canada on one side, the US on the other. Spanning just over a fifth of the border, the International Boundary Commission maintains the Slash, and officials (not Bigfoot) trim it every six years despite its remote location. Several adventurous travelers have it on their bucket lists, but it’s hard to reach unless, well, you’re a bear living in one of the national forests it crosses!

According to Atlas Obscura, you don’t have to plan a major hiking trip to see the Slash: book a Northern Star cruise in Newport, Vermont, for a great view of the border from the water.

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