We are out on new adventures in the Benelux area. The question today is whether there is any name that better describes traveling in Europe than Schengen? The area consisting of 26 countries in Europe that you can travel between without needing to go through border control is usually named only as Schengen or the Schengen Area. But Schengen is also a small village in Luxembourg. It is just next to the Moselle river and close to the tripoint of the borders between France, Germany, and Luxembourg. We really could not resist making a stop while we were passing by.
The Schengen Area
Let’s start with some fun facts about the European Union. The original Schengen Agreement was signed in Schengen in 1985. Five of the then ten members of ECC signed the agreement. The countries that signed the agreement were Belgium, France, West Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. These countries agreed to take the necessary measures to gradually abolish border controls between them.
In addition to the agreement, the Schengen Convention was signed in 1990. It proposed a complete removal of internal border checks between the countries. This finally led up to the creation of the Schengen Area in 1995. As more countries signed the agreement it was eventually incorporated within the EU in 1997 by the Amsterdam Treaty.
That is why we felt that it was important to make a stop in this small village. The Schengen Area has a huge impact on us and it has affected our lives. Without it, we wouldn’t have traveled as much as we do and the two of us would probably never have met.
Schengen, the Village
The population of Schengen is just over 4 000. It is a convenient stop on the way to Trier. It took us about 45 minutes to drive here from Metz, and the scenery over the Mosel valley was absolutely amazing.
The town is really small and there is not so much to see. There’s the European Museum (free admission), a nice park, and a castle. We decided to enjoy a sandwich in the park before continuing to Trier, Germany. In any case, we hope to return to Luxembourg soon!
Join us on the road through Europe here!
