Baarle-Hertog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baarle-Hertog
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Former town hall
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 Baarle-Hertog
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | Antwerp | ||
| Arrondissement | Turnhout | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7.48 km2 (2.89 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
2387
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| Area codes | 014 | ||
Baarle-Hertog is a special town in Belgium. It is famous for its very unusual borders. Many parts of this Belgian town are completely surrounded by the Netherlands.
Imagine a puzzle where pieces of Belgium are inside the Netherlands! This town is part of the Belgian province of Antwerp. As of 2021, about 2,935 people live there. The total area is about 7.48 square kilometers (2.89 sq mi).
Contents
Exploring Baarle-Hertog's Borders
A Border Like No Other
Baarle-Hertog has one of the most complex borders in the world. It shares this confusing border with a Dutch town called Baarle-Nassau.
This tricky border started a long time ago. It was created by many old agreements and land swaps. These deals happened between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant in the Middle Ages. The final border lines were officially set in 1843.
Today, thanks to the European Union and the Schengen Agreement, it's much easier to cross these borders. You don't usually need to stop or show your passport.
Belgian Pieces in the Netherlands
The town of Baarle-Hertog is made up of 26 separate pieces of land. Four of these pieces are connected to other Belgian towns. The other 22 pieces are Belgian "exclaves" (parts of a country completely surrounded by another country). These 22 Belgian pieces are fully inside the Netherlands.
But wait, it gets even more complicated! Inside these Belgian exclaves, there are seven Dutch "counter-exclaves." These are tiny pieces of the Netherlands surrounded by Belgian land. Six of these Dutch pieces are in the largest Belgian exclave. The seventh is in the second-largest Belgian exclave. There's also an eighth Dutch exclave near a place called Ginhoven.
Life on the Border
During the First World War, this strange border was very important. The Imperial German Army could not enter these Belgian parts without crossing the neutral Netherlands. So, these Belgian areas became a safe place for refugees. A secret radio was even used there to help the Belgian resistance. The Dutch government helped by building a church and school for the Belgians stuck inside these areas.
Some houses in Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau are actually split by the border! Imagine your living room being in Belgium and your kitchen in the Netherlands. In the past, this led to funny situations. For example, if Dutch restaurants had to close early, customers could just move to a table on the Belgian side of the same restaurant!
More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, rules were different in Belgium and the Netherlands. This meant a Belgian person living next to an open Dutch bar couldn't go in.
Many shops selling fireworks are found in Baarle-Hertog. This is because Belgian laws about fireworks are less strict than Dutch laws. Many Dutch visitors come here to buy fireworks for New Year's celebrations.
Two villages in Baarle-Hertog, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main part of Belgium, not in the exclaves.
Education in Baarle-Hertog
Baarle-Hertog has two elementary schools for younger students: De Vlinder and De Horizon.
The town also shares a library with Baarle-Nassau. This library has staff from both Belgium and the Netherlands.
Famous People from Baarle-Hertog
- Petrus Christus, a famous painter from the 15th century.
Images for kids
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A café in Baarle-Nassau, showing the border between Belgium and the Netherlands.
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The Church of Saint Remigius.
See also
In Spanish: Baarle-Hertog para niños
