As a geography major I love anything to do with maps and borders, so I wanted to compile a list of some of the most beautiful borders in the world. Borders are all man-made but many have dramatic landscapes and distinct culture, making borders special places. And some really stand out as majestic places to travel to and cross for there sheer awe-inspiring beauty. These are not in particular order of ranking.

1. Switzerland/Italy Border

What happens when you combine two beautiful countries, with beautiful cities and beautiful mountains. You get one of the most scenic borders on earth! The great thing I love about this border is how accessible it is for everyone and on both sides there are some beautiful cities in the Alps like Zermatt, Lugano, Como, Tirano, and Saint Moritz.

2. Bolivia/Peru Border

This is an interesting border due to the difference in elevation this border follows. From the humid and wet jungles of the Amazon the border goes south up to the cold and mountainous Lake Titicaca where it splits the lake in half. From there the border continues south and crosses the desert just northeast of Arica, Chile where it forms a tri-border with Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

3. South Africa/Lesotho Border

One of the stranger borders on the maps because Lesotho is surrounded by the country of South Africa. What makes this border special is the dramatic mountainous landscape of Lesotho mixing with the warmer and lower elevation of South Africa. The views are stunning with cliffs, lakes, waterfalls, and remote villages.

4. Dominican Republic/Haiti Border

The island of Hispaniola is split between Dominican Republic and Haiti with Dominican Republic nearly twice as large as Haiti. What makes this border interesting is that it stretches from coast to coast through mountainous landscape. It’s easy to see the border from space since Haiti has nearly cut down all of their forest while Dominican Republic has made an effort to increase their forest.

5. Chile/Argentina Border

One of the longest borders in the world, this border straddles the Andes Mountains all the way from the Boliva, Chile, Argentina tri-border to the very tip of South America 3,300 miles south. Near the equator the border is rugged, dusty and dry while in the south the border reaches a windy, wet and cold fjord-like point. Ushuaia, Argentina is the most southern city in the world and sits at the bottom of this border.

6. France/Monaco Border

This is one of the most dramatic borders I’ve ever been too. If you’re not familiar, Monaco is a tiny nation nestled between France on all sides. The area is steep and the contrast of dense Monaco provides a very memorable and scenic entry into a very remarkable country. In fact, most tourists will come by car from Nice, France as this is the easiest way to get to Monaco.

7. USA/Canada Border

This border is the largest in the world between any two countries and the most peaceful. As an American and Canadian I can attest that both countries are relatively easy to get across and there are literally thousands of miles of beautiful border scenery. The most interesting crossing area would have to go to Derby Line, Vermont where the border runs right through the local library.

8. Norway/Sweden Border

At over 1,010 miles long, this border is both countries longest. Most of the border follows the drainage divide in the Scandinavian Mountains ending at a tri-point border of Treriksröset, where Sweden, Norway and Finland meet. Both countries are part of the Schengen Area however Sweden is not part of the European Union so there are still custom checks.

9. China/Nepal Border

I love mountains, so it should be no surprise that I would include the China/Nepal border on my list. But in terms of sheer beauty, it would be hard to top this border as some of the highest and most well-known peaks across the world are located here. To travel to either side of the border takes determination and sometimes luck (getting into Tibet) as the mountains are known for ever-changing dangerous weather.

10. China/Vietnam Border

This communist border stretches from the South China Sea to the mountainous region between Yunnan and Lai Châu. The border is filled with stunning scenery, like the rice paddies near Ban Gioc Waterfall, the tea fields near Yunnan or the flat marshy fields near the sea. Yunnan is especially popular with tourist because of the culture, tea, and unique cuisine.

11. Slovakia/Poland Border

If you like dramatic scenery then you’ll like the Slovakia/Polish border. On the Polish side there is skiing, mountaineering, hiking and beautiful scenery specifically near Zakopane, known as the “winter capital of Poland.” On the Slovakian border there are also ski resorts, small scenic slovak cities, and activities like hiking and cross-country skiing.

12. Uganda/Democratic Republic of the Congo Border

This border is not for the weak as the area has seen several wars over the years. It’s too bad to because this area could have great tourist potential due to glaciers, tropical rain-forests, rare gorillas, waterfalls, rare flora, fauna and lakes. Because of its place near the equator combined with the high elevation it’s possible to see a tropical forest with tropical glaciers. The area supports some of the most beautiful and strangest flora and fauna in the world.

13. Andorra/France/Spain Border

Andorra is a high-elevated landlocked nation with some of the most scenic views in all of Europe. Whether you cross the border from France or Spain, it doesn’t matter since every border crossing has some sort of dramatic view of the Pyrenees. The total border for Andorra is 75 miles with France and Spain roughly splitting the total border in half.

14. India/Myanmar (Burma) Border

One of the strangest and most remote borders, the India/Myanmar (Burma) offers rich flora/fauna, tea, exotic culture, mountains, and stunning lakes. On the Myanmar side, the border is less accessible although still possible to reach. On the Indian side the main lands to visit would be Nagaland, known for its unique culture, arts & craft, head-hunting and colorful people as well as Manipur, the land where polo was said to be created from.

I love borders even though I know many in this world are filled with conflict and deep divisions. As a geographer, there is a lot to understand about our world borders and the history that has shaped them. I hope to inspire some of y’all to travel to some of these borders to feel that immensity with being close to two countries at once!

images by: haqbar, erik, atibordee, alex, paolo, livetolearn, dimitry, paul, axel, martin, brzyska, clement, karl, rob