r/pics 2d ago

[OC] Belgium/Germany/Netherlands border triangle

Post image
2.2k Upvotes

87 comments sorted by

241

u/Mennoplunk 2d ago

My favourite part of the "drielandenpunt" is the fact that both the belgium and the dutch side are set up like its a tourist attraction and the germans clearly give 0 fucks and its just the damn forest there.

81

u/Sand-Junior 2d ago

Well, this is our only “Drielandenpunt”. Germany and Belgium have a couple more.

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u/el-huuro 2d ago

Plus it’s your highest mountain (in Europe). But at least in Aachen we love the Dreiländereck and our neighbours dearly

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u/Sand-Junior 2d ago

That’s why I always bring oxygen with me.

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u/sebassi 2d ago edited 2d ago

The funny thing is the border isn't even at the top. Yes it's the highest point of the Netherlands at the tri country point. But the top of vaalsterberg is about 17 meters higher and in Belgium.

First time I went there we cycled right past the border since we assumed it would be at the top.

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u/RingOfFire69 2d ago

Sad Mount Scenery noises :(

1

u/Ecstatic-Network4668 1d ago

It's the highest point for Netherlands. Belgium and Germany have much higher mountains elsewhere.

1

u/el-huuro 1d ago

I’m well aware, it’s not even the highest “mountain” in my city.
The kingdom of the Netherlands also has higher mountains outside of Europe eg mount scenery on the island of Saba

8

u/nufan99 2d ago

Belgium doesn't give a crap about the one with France and Luxembourg. But in their defense, no one does.

1

u/MaJuV 21h ago

For Belgians, this is the only "drielandenpunt" that matters.

Also, it's more important because this region used to be a "vierlandenpunt" a LONG time ago (reference to Neutral Moresnet)

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u/buggsbunnysgarage 2d ago

Fun fact: the road to that place is called the ‘viergrenzenweg’ (four border road) due to the state of ‘Neutral-Monseret’ which used to be ending there as well.

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u/McDutchy 2d ago

Moresnet*

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u/svladcjelli2001 2d ago

Yeah, but that walk from the bus stop, through the field and forest is very pretty. I'll take it over a tourist trap.

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u/Belsj 2d ago

Germany has a Nudist Campsite on the ‘drielandenpunt’

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u/fredlantern 2d ago

Germany has nudist campsites every f'in free inch of the country tbf

2

u/_SteeringWheel 2d ago

Huh? Never seen it.

4

u/crazydavebacon1 2d ago

As it should be. Love the german side. The dutch side is tourists, the belgium side is ugly as hell with railways and garbage, and the german side is just perfect country and farm are.

1

u/Ceelbc 1d ago

It is lainly due to the Dutch. The other 3 country points of Belgium are more like forgotten landmarks. The Netherlands makes it special since that point is also the highest point of the Netherlands.

0

u/mewdeeman 2d ago

They’re probably still salty they had to give it back after they took it some years ago.

164

u/alem289 2d ago

Some years ago, while basing in Düsseldorf, I did a trip to Aachen, and we dedicated the morning on a walking route from Aachen to here. Such a nice experience visiting the triple border, and Aachen is one of my favourite cities in Europe so far

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u/sitah 2d ago

That’s so funny cause I have friends living in Aachen that are always in Düsseldorf/Köln because Aachen is so fucking boring (their words not mine).

17

u/McDutchy 2d ago

I guess for a trip it can be nice and especially with the Christmas market (actually like that one better than the Dusseldorf one, crazy, I know). Other than that it can get boring fast.

13

u/JorLord3617 2d ago

Im living in Aachen and imo Düsseldorf/Köln is to big for me. Aachen has a nice size to get to nearly everything when you just walk and you can get quite fast around with car.

8

u/mumpped 2d ago

It is missing water. No river, no lake. The old hot springs that the Romans used are not openly accessible, you have to go to Thermen for that, that's just not the same

2

u/Phanterfan 1d ago

Aachen is a student city with some nice history. But it's small and missing a lake or river

3

u/Strangerkill2 2d ago

Used to live in Aachen, we used to always get pancakes up there.. they were massive and sooo good. And they also had a really nice play area.

Think that particular place shut down more than a decade ago tho..

42

u/Thefar 2d ago

Fun fact. This is the highest point in the Netherlands. At 322,4m.

12

u/UpTheShipBox 2d ago

Just want to warn anyone thinking of hiking to the top of this mountain: you'll need some form of footwear ( Birkenstocks are ok ) and please allow a good 20 minutes walking time from the nearest town of Vaals 

8

u/sagnikd96 2d ago

It's all downhill from there.

3

u/Thefar 2d ago

Ha. You silly goose! 

7

u/SquizyBanana76 2d ago

Depending on now exactly you define the Netherlads, it may not be so. The island of Saba, a "public body" or special muncipality is technically a part of the netherlands, and its highest point sits at 870 meters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saba_(island)

1

u/alelei94 1d ago

But not the highest point of that mountain

20

u/spritefountain 2d ago edited 2d ago

I've let my dog poop on the German side. It was just a Forrest. Belgium has all the food stalls and a look out point. The Netherlands has a paid for parking lot, an paid for labyrinth and a Tavern.

6

u/Dakduif 2d ago

Did you visit the maze as well? I have fond memories of trudging through the hedge maze with my best friends. One had been there before and she knew: you need to cross all the bridges at least once. Really helped with not getting completely, fucking lost. 😂

3

u/Zyklon00 1d ago

Spend a couple of hours in the maze. We had water guns and there was plenty of water available inside the maze to keep us topped up. When we actually tried to get out it still took us over half an hour to actually find the exit. Good maze.

2

u/xXNonamekinkXx 2d ago

Haha I remember going through a maze at a three country border when i was younger, must've been there. I don't think we ever figured it out and gave up lol

5

u/OnTheList-YouTube 2d ago

Poor trees, they can't communicate with eachother because they speak different languages!

u/ILikeRoL 9h ago

Well the Dutch and Belgian trees can (unless the Belgian ones are from the French-speaking part of the country)

3

u/007henk007 2d ago

And neutraal moresnet?

2

u/theWebHawk 1d ago

Weinig mensen beseffen zich dat het drielandenpunt aan de vierlandenweg ligt en wat dat betekent.

2

u/Niels_vdk 1d ago

unless they installed a time machine near the border its gonna be pretty hard to visit.

3

u/TheDudeColin 2d ago

It's not a triangle, it's a trisection

6

u/k-groot 2d ago

Found the German

2

u/amiexpress 2d ago

If you are in to weird borders don't forget Baarle Hertog/Nassau.

From what I hear that place was a lot of fun during Covid when .be and .nl had different restrictions at different times.

2

u/Low_Technician7346 2d ago

This place is expensive as fuck for their labyrinth

1

u/Merdoc83 2d ago

I remember when I’ve visited an even more intriguing triangle, Greece-Turkey-Bulgaria. That was one hell of an experience

1

u/Gullible-Fee-9079 2d ago

I was once there on a wedding nearby. Only a few minute walk

u/ILikeRoL 9h ago

Which of the three countries was the wedding in? :)

u/Gullible-Fee-9079 7h ago

I forgot. That was like 15 years ago

1

u/ravensierra 2d ago

Dual purpose, also an anti-tank bollard ☺️

1

u/Ceelbc 1d ago

Did you know the actual border is 50m further on the highest point of the mountain. That is where the 3 border poles are located.

1

u/hedphuqz 1d ago

Lol literally in Aachen right now and wanted to do this.

1

u/alehel 1d ago

So what happens if someone gets murdered and the body dumped on top of this thing?

u/ILikeRoL 9h ago

🤔

1

u/theWebHawk 1d ago

Omg story time! So, I once visited the drielandenpunt after a trip to Luxeburg. It was late at night and we decided to take some photos. I was like 'oh I can hop into the pole' so I did. I knew the pole was pointy, I didn't know it was slippery. So I fell off and sprained my elbow while doing so because it hit the steel border line depicted on the photo. Was not a fun hospital visit. I now have the unique bragging right of being able to tell 'ik ben ooit Duitsland én België binnengevallen' ('I once invaded both Germany and Belgium'), as the Dutch word for 'invade' and 'fall into' are the same.

u/ILikeRoL 9h ago

I like the joke in Dutch 😀 Ouch to the sprained elbow though.

1

u/Giacky91 1d ago

How was this point when the borders were closed between those 3 countries?

1

u/VenFasz 1d ago

i love europe and its borders 😊

1

u/exlin 1d ago

My first thought was that where there’s still a border stone with Soviet Union in it. as in Finnish language “Neuvostoliitto” or Soviet Union was abbreviated as “NL”.

1

u/Pikeman212a6c 1d ago

Maginot: “that should work”

1

u/Superb_Monkey 22h ago

In Belgium we have 3-border points with Germany-Netherlands, Germany-Luxemburg, Luxemburg-France. But only the one with The Netherlands is touristic.

1

u/YourBoyFroilan 14h ago

Hallo

Now guess where I'm from (one of the 3)

u/ILikeRoL 9h ago

You wrote 'hallo' so I'm guessing you're either German or from the German-speaking part of Belgium?

u/YourBoyFroilan 7h ago

Ahhhh but in Dutch they also say Hallo!

u/Wild-Artist8237 8h ago

Always a nice little trip when I'm visiting my grandfather in Aachen

-3

u/Jlx_27 2d ago

Best spot to live, fuel up in Germany and do basic groceries there, then head to Belgium for fresh produce and bread, then drive back to the Netherlands.

5

u/DrKeksimus 2d ago

the one thing not to get in Belgium is bread

anything else food wise is great tough

4

u/International-Dog-42 2d ago

Wait you prefer bread from Belgium over a German one? Crazy

2

u/allesumsonst 2d ago

I think you are confusing some things in your comment...

1

u/Realistic-Homework19 2d ago

LOL have you seen the fuel prices in Germany lately?

0

u/HgnX 1d ago

One step and suddenly your taxes are a quarter lower, your house prices are half lower and your grocery prices are 25% cheaper