6 Most Interesting International Borders

a table and chairs outside a restaurant
Netherlands/ Belgium

I’m not sure what it is, but I always enjoy crossing borders. In recent past I have made this seemingly boring event into a fun photo-op. It can be crossing from country to country or even state to state, whatever it is, I find it fascinating and have to say that as minimal as it seems, it can be a lot of fun!

Over the years, border crossings that stood out were:

  • Walking from Vietnam into Cambodia and having to argue with the border guard who wanted to keep my Visa page
  • Walking from Cambodia into Thailand- seeing our luggage being pushed in strange, wooden wheel-barrows across the border
  • Walking from South Africa into Namibia
  • Taking a photo at Peru & Brazil’s border sign and catching our flight within Colombia from the Amazon.
  • Stopping on the side of the highway, waiting for a turn to jump by the Welcome to South Dakota sign (from Wyoming).
  • Getting permission from the Kosovo border guard to allow us to take some photos by the welcome sign.
  • Having our driver stop on the road into Albania for a brief photo-op.

a man jumping in the air
Albania

I came across an article from Thrillist which features 6 Of The Most Interesting International Border Crossings On Earth. From this article I actually learned a few things. The border between India and Pakistan is so dangerous that they keep it illuminated for security reasons with flood lights. It’s so bright that it can be seen from space!

a view of earth from space
Indian-Pakistan Border

Haiti and the Dominican Republic couldn’t be much different. While the DR imposed measures to save its forests, Haiti’s land is barren with just some dirt on the ground.

a map of a mountain range
Haiti/ Dominican Republic

A triangular-shaped picnic table is the place 3 countries meet- Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. Each side of the bench has an emblem which shows the country’s side that you are sitting on.

a picnic table in a grassy area
Austria-Hungary-Slovakia

Have you been to any interesting border crossings? If so, let us know about it. Find out about the photo at the top of the post and other interesting border crossings in the article from Thrillist HERE.

7 thoughts on “6 Most Interesting International Borders

  1. Nick Knight- Good one!

    Points To Be Made- Sounds really interesting and bizarre! I’d love to visit this area one of these days! Thanks for the info.

    DaninSTL- I’d definitely like to see the “four corners”. Have any photos to share? I haven’t looked into it but besides touring the DMZ I’d doubt there is much freedom to cross borders in Korea?

    Denise L- I like your thinking!

    Steph- Very cool! Have a photo to share?

  2. The “four corners” state border confluence in the American SW is interesting. I would imagine North Korean border crossings would be very interesting.

  3. I live fairly close to the complex Baarle NL/BE borders in the top photo. It’s a fantastic myriad of history and politics. Restaurants which straddle the border have to move their customers to the other side of the room mid-meal because of the different operating hours laws.

    They have complex tax situations too…

    I recommend watching this video which describes the most complex borders in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLxZiiuaXs

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