Nº 004 Why does this exist?

The Town Where Your Front Door Decides Your Country

Baarle is a patchwork: 22 pieces of Belgium scattered inside the Netherlands, with 7 pockets of the Netherlands inside those. The border cuts through about 170 buildings, so locals follow one rule: your front door decides which side you're on.

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Sources

• Baarle-Hertog (22 exclaves, 7 counter-enclaves, Treaty of Maastricht 1843; Loveren 2 / Loveren 19)
• Front-door convention, ~170 buildings crossed (90 homes), 1995 re-measurement and the moved door: Omroep Brabant, 18 Sep 2025,