Border with Baarle-Nassau

Map showing the enclaves of Baarle-Hertog

Baarle-Hertog is noted for its complicated borders with Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands.^[3]

The border's complexity results from a number of medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant and other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the border settlements agreed under the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. The tight integration of the European Union and in particular the Schengen Agreement have made many of the practicalities of the situation substantially simpler since the 1990s.

In total, the municipality of Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Four are linked to other Belgian municipalities, from west to east: the Baalbrugse Bemden, a strip of land along the Merkske, Zondereigen-Ginhoven and an area near Weelde-Station. The largest single section, Zondereigen (named after its main hamlet), is located within mainland Belgium on the contiguous Dutch-Belgian border (north of the town of Merksplas). In addition to this, there are 22 Belgian exclaves fully within the Netherlands. There are also seven Dutch enclaves within the Belgian exclaves (i.e., counter-exclaves) that are part of the territory of the Netherlands. Six of these Dutch enclaves are located within the largest Belgian exclave, and a seventh in the second-largest Belgian exclave. An eighth Dutch exclave is located near Ginhoven.

During the First World War, this situation meant that the Imperial German Army could not occupy these parts of Belgium without crossing the Netherlands, which the Dutch government did not allow. Thus, these pieces of Belgium became a place where refugees could safely stay.^[4] A clandestine radio transmitter was smuggled in and from there worked with the Belgian resistance. The Dutch government fenced off these areas and controlled access in or out of them, building a church and school for the Belgian people who were effectively stranded within the enclaves.^[5] This situation did not exist in the Second World War, as both countries were occupied by Nazi Germany.

Some houses in the town of Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau are divided between the two countries. At one time, according to Dutch laws, restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border, this simply meant that the customers had to move to a table on the Belgian side.^[6] In 2020, restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic differed between the two countries; for instance, preventing a Belgian citizen living metres away from an open Dutch bar from patronising it.^[7]

Many fireworks shops are found in Baarle-Hertog, as Belgian laws controlling the sale of fireworks are more lenient than those of the Netherlands. Many Dutch tourists come to Baarle-Hertog to buy fireworks to celebrate the New Year.

Two villages in the municipality, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main territory of Belgium.

• 
  Café in Baarle-Nassau, showing border between Belgium and the Netherlands
• 
  Church of Saint Remigius

List of enclaves

Netherlands enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Nassau municipality.

Serial no. and local name[8]	Area (ha)	area acre	Notes
N1, De Loversche Akkers – De Tommelsche Akkers	5.3667	13.2615	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building.
N2, De Tommelsche Akkers	1.3751	3.3981	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains 8 dwellings.
N3, De Tommelsche Akkers	0.2863	0.7075	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store.
N4, De Rethsche Akkers	1.2324	3.0454	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse.
N5, De Rethsche Akkers	1.9212	4.7475	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn.
N6, Gierle Straat	1.4527	3.5898	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; consists of farmland with two buildings.
N7, De Kastelein	0.5812	1.4363	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, in Baarle-Hertog; occupies part of a field.
N8, Vossenberg	2.8528	7.0496	Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border.

Belgian enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands).

Serial no. and local name[8]	Area (ha)	area acre	Notes
H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein	153.6448	379.6717	Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H2, De Rethsche Akkers	2.4116	5.9594	Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field.
H3, De Rethsche Akkers	0.3428	0.8471	Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance.
H4, De Rethsche Akkers	1.476	3.6474	Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds.
H5, De Kapel Akkers	0.9245	2.2846	Consists of farmland with a dwelling.
H6, Hoofdbraek	1.7461	4.3148	Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory.
H7, De Loversche Akkers	0.2469	0.6102	Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2, Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19, Baarle-Nassau).
H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat	41.8781	103.485	Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses.
H9, De Kapel Akkers	0.4005	0.9897	Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area.
H10, De Oordelsche Straat	0.65	1.6063	Consists of farmland.
H11, De Oordelsche Straat	0.93	2.2982	Consists of farmland.
H12, Boschcoven	0.2822	0.6974	Consists of farmland.
H13, Boschcoven	1.5346	3.7922	Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings.
H14, Boschcoven	0.7193	1.7774	Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings.
H15, Boschcoven	1.7211	4.2531	Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings.
H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat	4.4252	10.9352	Boundary runs through a house and three sheds; inside one of the sheds, the linear boundary changes direction three times
H17, Moleriet Heide	14.9248	36.8807	Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H18, De Manke Gooren	2.9247	7.2273	Consists of farmland.
H19, De Peruiters	0.6851	1.693	Consists of several ponds and a field.
H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg	1.1681	2.8865	Consists of farmland.
H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden	1.1845	2.9271	Consists of farmland.
H22, De Wit Hagen	0.2632	0.6504	South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974)

Climate