birthplace of the world's most powerful visa

Anyone who has traveled to Europe knows about the Schengen visa, the “identity card” that allows free travel between 27 European countries. But few people know that Schengen is also the name of a small village in Luxembourg - the birthplace of the Schengen Agreement.

Flags of the Schengen countries in front of the European Museum in Schengen. (Source: TGCC)

The Schengen area allows more than 400 million Europeans and international visitors to travel freely across borders between 27 European countries. Therefore, the Schengen visa is considered the most powerful visa in the world.

At the border crossroads

On June 14, 1985, on the ship named Princess Marie-Astrid anchored in the Moselle River at the junction of the borders of France, Germany, Luxembourg, in Schengen, five countries in the European Community (EEC) at that time, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany signed a treaty to abolish border controls to allow citizens of these countries to travel freely within the territory of the five countries, called the "Schengen area". To date, this treaty has been expanded to 27 European countries.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, bordering France, Germany and Belgium. It is so small that it is often overlooked on European tours and at its widest you can drive from one end to the other in just an hour.

Why was Schengen chosen as the place to sign the Treaty? At the time, Luxembourg was the chair of the EEC, so Schengen was chosen. It was also the border point between the three member states of France, Germany and Luxembourg. To ensure it was a neutral choice, the participants were arranged on a cruise ship called the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, which was anchored close to the border between the three countries, in the middle of the Moselle River. Initially, the treaty was underestimated. Red tape meant that the complete abolition of border controls between the five founding countries was not implemented until 1995.

However, for most Europeans, the benefits of the Schengen Agreement far outweigh the inconveniences. The Agreement has affected the daily lives of all Schengen member states, with a total population of about 400 million people.

The author at the outdoor photo exhibition about the signing of the Schengen Agreement. (Source: TGCC)

Schengen Peace

From Vienna, Austria, I took the express train of Deutsche Bahn DB (Germany) to Schengen after three transfers (in Stuggart, Muchen and Dusseldorf) and arrived at Perl station, the last station in Germany. After getting off the train, I walked about 1 km, crossed a small bridge over the Moselle River and arrived at the village of Schengen.

The peaceful village appeared before my eyes with cars with German, French and Luxembourgish license plates and cyclists leisurely passing by. No one would have guessed that this small village located in the southeast of Luxembourg was the birthplace of the Schengen Agreement nearly 40 years ago.

Walking on the small bridge, I saw a sign indicating the end of Germany, gradually entering Luxembourg territory. Because there is a free movement agreement between 27 European countries, you can see cars with license plates from many countries running across without barriers, commonly German, French and Luxembourg license plates. From the bridge, I was absent-mindedly watching the gentle Moselle River - also known as the natural border between Germany and Luxembourg. If you do not go towards Luxembourg, do not cross the bridge, but from Perl station, go to the left for a while and you will see the Eiffel Tower symbol and the billboard celebrating the French National Day on July 14 - starting to enter the territory of France. Such a historically significant location, but I did not see any grand landmark marking the border of the three countries France - Germany - Luxembourg. Reading information online, I saw a tiny landmark nestled among the trees, marking the border junction. I searched all over Schengen and asked the locals, but no one knew what that landmark meant.

German territorial signs. (Source: TGCC)

From Perl station in Germany, cross the bridge to the Schengen area, where you can see the area along the Moselle river with the flags of European countries and outdoor photos of the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985.

I met some middle-aged couples happily cycling along the riverbank. They said: “We are French, cycling more than 50 km to come here. We often cycle here on holidays.”

Another couple said that their home is in France, more than 100 km away, so they often come here by car and bring their bicycles. When they come here, they take their bicycles down to ride around Schengen. When I asked why they came here, they said that they have a habit of going out on the weekends, so every weekend they ride their bicycles to ride around.

No other visitors from as far away as I was, except for the French and German tourists right near the border. A short walk leads to the European Museum, which is free to visit. Here you can learn about the story of the formation of the Schengen area through interactive displays inside and many relics outside the museum. Don’t miss the collection of hats worn by border control officers from member states when they joined the bloc.

The lovely grounds in front of the European Museum are where you can enjoy Luxembourgish specialties such as savory pastries, pâtés and especially the famous cremant white wine of Luxembourg. Schengen is located in the Moselle Valley in Luxembourg. This valley is also the center of Luxembourg's wine industry.

Schengen is off all major transport routes and is only a 35km drive from Luxembourg. For me, walking, cycling through the vineyards and enjoying a glass of white wine in Schengen is a wonderful experience, nothing beats getting a real taste of life here, this small, historic village.

The Schengen Agreement is a free movement agreement signed by most European countries. The agreement stipulates the freedom of movement of citizens of member countries. Foreign citizens only need a visa from one of the Schengen countries to be allowed to travel throughout the entire area.

As of January 1, 2023, the total number of countries that fully recognize this Agreement is 27, known as the Schengen countries, including 22 countries belonging to the European Union (EU) and five non-EU countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Croatia.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/schengen-noi-ra-doi-thi-thuc-quyen-luc-nhat-the-gioi-293749.html