The Dreiländer Punkt

Two days ago my host parents took me to go see the 'Dreiländer Punkt', and we picked up my host brother on the way. The Dreiländer Punkt is the spot at which the borders of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany intersect. Because of this novelty, a large tourist haven has sprung up to fuel those travelers who want nothing more than to stand on three countries at once while eating french fries. 

This is what the point looks like -- Note: Not my picture

We started the day by climbing to the top of a nearby observation tower -- my host brother and I walked while our parents took the elevator. The climb involved over 200 steps that were both transparent and way to small for human feet. This did nothing to help my phobia of heights. In the end it was worth it, though, because the view from the top is spectacular. You can see for miles in any direction, Germany on one side, Belgium on the other and with a small sliver of the Netherlands widening out int he distance. We chose the perfect day to visit, as the sun was out and it wasn't too cold; meaning that we could see for a huge distance while not freezing to death in the normally unbearable wind.

The Tower

The view -- Germany

After getting a good look at the surrounding countryside we descended again (switching places; we took the elevator while my host parents used the stairs) and waited in line to get french fries. This is, of course, exactly the thing to do when visiting three different countries, one of which invented the french fry. I'm not exactly sure why this is the thing to do, but they were extremely good fries nonetheless. 

If you've never had french fries with curry sauce, I suggest you try it.

That's pretty much all I have to say about that little excursion, except to mention that it was totally worthwhile in my travel geek mindset -- I visited the Netherlands for the first time, stood on three whole countries at once, at a local specialty, and got a squashed penny to prove it.