Today at 9:00 PM • Modified today at 9:23 PM
Just a little push… and presto, you fly from the Netherlands to Belgium. And vice versa. In Baarle it has been possible since Wednesday on the swing. A striking new attraction has opened on the border between Baarle-Nassau and the Baarle-Hertog enclave: the border swing. And yes, it does exactly what you think.
The opening was anything but boring. No standard ribbon this time, but two mayors who crossed the border every time while swinging. Marjon de Hoon- Veelenturf and Philip Loots took their seats, were given a good wave and flew from one country to another. Audience around, children cheering, it was an instant hit.
“This is great,” laughs De Hoon-veelenturf while rocking. “Here in Baarle you cross the border so often that you don’t even notice it anymore. But suddenly it becomes fun and visible again.”
“One swing and you’re in another country.”
And that is exactly the intention. The swing was invented by Simon Jansen and his working group. The toy once again emphasizes that in the village thirty pieces of Belgian territory (Baarle-Hertog) and Dutch territory (Baarle-Nassau) criss-cross each other.
“For us, that limit is normal,” Jansen explains. “But for visitors it is unique. With this swing you feel it immediately. One swing and you are in a different country.”
The place was of course not chosen by chance. The swing is right on the border, along the busy and well-known cycle path the Bels Lijntje. Ideal for a short stop. Just get off the bus, go back and forth a few times… and you have literally visited two countries.
What makes it extra fun: the swing is located exactly between a primary school and a nursing home. Young and old come together here. Children running back and forth screaming with joy, elderly people watching or trying it themselves: it’s all possible.
According to Mayor Loots, there is also a deeper message behind it. “In many parts of the world, borders cause hassle,” he says as he receives another push. “Not here. Here they bring people together. You can literally see that happening here.”
“Visitors only really understand what it’s like when they experience it themselves.”
No one had to think about it for long during the opening. “Belgium! The Netherlands! Belgium! The Netherlands!,” said the voice while they were swinging back and forth. The children immediately lined up in front of the swing, but remained sober. “I really like it,” says Jan-Paul. “But for me, crossing the border is actually not that special, because I live here. But maybe for other people.”
However, it remains a special sight for visitors. “Of course it is fun for our own residents, young and old, but also for tourists who come here specifically,” explains Mayor De Hoon-veelenturf. “Many visitors know that Baarle is special, but they only really understand what it is like when they experience it themselves. This way you make the border visible and tangible. You don’t have to explain it, you just experience it.”
Because let’s be honest, the new attraction is one you won’t soon forget. Because where else can you cross a national border in one swing in a swing?
