In the Jura Mountains, right on the border between France and Switzerland, there is a village divided between two countries.
Some 15 miles northwest of Lake Geneva, La Cure has a unique border split due to the 1862 Treaty of Dappes, where France and Switzerland swapped territory to give France control of a strategic road.
The international border bisects at least four buildings, notably the Hotel Arbez, in which the dining hall and other rooms are separated by the invisible divide.
The history of the hotel is as follows: Before the Treaty of the Dappers came into effect, a local businessman, Alphonse Ponthus, decided to build a property that was on both sides of the new border.
He opened a bar on the French side and a shop on the Swiss side.
In 1921, Jules Joseph Arbez purchased the property and transformed it into the hotel.
The result is that roughly half the hotel is in France and the other half in Switzerland, with the international border bisecting the restaurant and several of the rooms. This means it has both a French and a Swiss address.
On the French side, the Arbez is on the Rue de la Frontera in La Cure, while on the Swiss side, it’s on the Route de France in Cure.
A room in the Hôtel Arbez Franco-Suisse is pictured. The unique hotel that straddles the international border between France and Switzerland in the village of La Cure
The border runs through the middle of the building, allowing guests to sleep with their head in one country and their feet in another
The Hotel Arbez (also Hôtel Arbez Franco-Suisse) remains family-run today. The hotel’s restaurant also takes advantage of its borderline location by serving both French and Swiss fare.
The invisible international boundary runs directly through the building, meaning you can sleep with your head in one country and your feet in the other.
During WWII, the second floor of the hotel was even used as a refuge for those fleeing the German soldiers as the staircase crossed the Swiss border.
A double room costs around £145 per night, based on a three-night stay.
The hotel has an overall rating of 4.3 stars based on nearly 700 Google reviews.
One recent reviewer jested: ‘Nice place with character and history. Only complaint is road noise on the Swiss side – get a room on the French side if you can!’
And it’s not the only spot nearby where you can straddle multiple counties.
Located in the north-eastern French region of Alsace, Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport serves the nearby cities of Basel, Switzerland, Mulhouse, France and Freiburg, Germany.
The hotel’s restaurant also takes advantage of its borderline location by serving both French and Swiss fare. The dining area of the Logis hôtel Arbez Franco Suisse is pictured
The interior of the Hôtel Arbez Franco-Suisse, a unique hotel that straddles the international border between France and Switzerland, is pictured
Set in the hub of the ‘trinational Eurodistrict’, the three countries overlap into one zone, with the airport split into both a French customs border and a Swiss customs border.
Operated by both France and Switzerland, the unique airport’s board includes eight members from each, alongside two German advisers.
Described as a ‘symbol for international cooperation’ that became ‘absolutely vital’ following the Second World War, there is even a border crossing within the terminal which allows passengers to access France and Switzerland at ease, without requiring immigration checks.
Handling more than 9million passengers a year, travellers landing at the distinctive airport can reach the neighbouring cities of Basel, Switzerland, at five miles away, while Mulhouse, in France, is 15.5 miles south.
