It has always a challenge to pick just one country that you want to visit. What if we told you that you don’t have to choose between two countries, but rather experience both of them?
It is possible for you to do this, without having to double your budgets! All you have to do is travel to one of the many border towns around the world – places that on the border between two countries, so that you can technically visit two cultures at the price of one! Here are five of the best towns for you to explore this phenomenon.
Bratislava (above image)
Bratislava is the stunningly beautiful capital of Slovakia that has a lot to offer to its travelers. From beautiful vineyards, to breath-taking hiking trails, to calm blue waters, adventurers have a number of spots to choose between. It is a traditional European town, so even the architecture buffs will be satisfied. More uniquely, Bratislava is right on the Hungarian border, so don’t be surprised if you find a lot of Hungarian restaurants and trinkets when you holiday here!
Vientiane
Vientiane is a Laotian town on the Thai border. It’s not often that you find a city with as many cultural influences as Vientiane. It’s been inspired by Thai, Laotian and French culture. When you walk down the main street, you will see beautiful Buddhist temples like the Pha That Luang, traditional Asian monuments, and stately French buildings, all competing for your attention in the same place. Make sure you visit the Laotian noodle shops, and enjoy shopping for Thai trinkets in the street market!
Recommended Tours in Vientiane:
Malmö
There is a running joke in Malmo, a city in Sweden, that the town is more Danish than it is Swedish. After all, it lies on the Danish border, and is closer to the Danish capital than the Swedish! The city is incredibly laid back, so you will definitely want to relax. Observe the city’s unique architectural style (definitely influenced by Denmark). Walk up to Lilla Torg square, and enjoy a traditional Swedish or Danish meal- depending on what tickles those taste buds. After all, you’re in the city that unites both countries!
Baarle Hertog/ Baarle Nassau
Thanks to the EU, most of the European countries enjoy free borders, with people from all countries freely mingling with each other. This is most obvious in Baarle Hertog, which is a Dutch town at the Belgian border. Due to a long, complicated historical battle, a number of Belgian enclaves ended up within town. These Belgian enclaves form Baarle Nassau. If you want to have the pleasure of having visited both Belgium and Netherlands, this is definitely where you should head to! Moreover, it’s a geographical anomaly, and a funny one at that. Who wouldn’t want to see it?
Melilla
Melilla is a quintessential Spanish town, full of beautiful buildings and the blue, blue sea. However, that is not what makes Melilla so popular. It’s the fact that when you’re in Melilla, you get to experience the culture of not one, but two countries. Melilla is on Spain’s border with Morocco (which is on a whole other continent, remember). You can enjoy the best of Moroccan cuisines and Spanish cuisines and a deep history in this beautiful town. There is not much to do in the form of sightseeing, but you should definitely stay for a few days, and just soak in the culture (and of course, the delicious food).
So, what other cities do you think offer you the best of two worlds, instead of one?
