What Peaceful Borders Between European Countries Look Like

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe’s borderless Schengen Area. It was signed on 14 June 1985 by five of the ten member states of the then European Economic Community near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg. It proposed the gradual abolition of border checks at the signatories’ common borders. Measures proposed included reduced speed vehicle checks which allowed vehicles to cross borders without stopping, allowing residents in border areas freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints and the harmonisation of visa policies. (Wikipedia)

Since 1985 90% of the restriction within the European Union have been erased. Valerio Vincenzo ( a Dutch talented photographer) decided to record in written (mostly digitalise it) this change in his unique series “Borderline, the Frontiers of Peace,” a project which is especially touching nowadays, as the EU is struggling with the immigrant crisis.

Scroll down fellow Lazy Penguins and let us know what you think. “H/T” designyoutrust

Austria – Czech Republic
Austria – Czech Republic
Romania – Bulgaria
Romania – Bulgaria
Germany – Poland
Germany – Poland
Switzerland – Italy
Switzerland – Italy
Poland – Lithuania
Poland – Lithuania
France – Germany
France – Germany
Norway – Finland – Sweden
Norway – Finland – Sweden
Sweden – Finland
Sweden – Finland

Valerio said:     “With the help of a GPS and detailed maps, I have conducted many trips along these “erased” borderlines, with the intention of capturing the essence of these now-peaceful crossings,” writes Vincenzo. “Even if sometimes these pictures have been taken thousands of km away from each other, they all provide images that are far from the stereotype that we tend to associate with the notion of border. What is a border anyway?”

France – Italy
France – Italy
Bulgaria – Greece
Bulgaria – Greece
Bulgaria – Romania
Bulgaria – Romania
Luxembourg – Belgium
Luxembourg – Belgium
Czech Republic – Poland
Czech Republic – Poland
France – Belgium
France – Belgium
Germany – Denmark
Germany – Denmark
Netherlands – Germany – Belgium
Netherlands – Germany – Belgium
Germany – Poland
Germany – Poland
Italy – Austria
Italy – Austria
Spain – France
Spain – France
Slovakia – Poland
Slovakia – Poland
Slovenia – Italy
Slovenia – Italy
Germany – Austria
Germany – Austria
Germany – Austria
Germany – Austria
Portugal – Spain
Portugal – Spain
Switzerland – Italy
Switzerland – Italy
Poland – Czech Republic
Poland – Czech Republic
Austria – Switzerland – Germany
Austria – Switzerland – Germany
France – Switzerland
France – Switzerland
Hungary – Austria
Hungary – Austria
Belgium – Netherlands
Belgium – Netherlands
Germany – Czech Republic
Germany – Czech Republic
Latvia – Estonia
Latvia – Estonia
Poland – Slovakia
Poland – Slovakia