Schengen Area
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The Schengen Area is an area encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union (EU), it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg.
The Gibraltar/Spain border in 2004 with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background
The border checkpoint in La Farga de Moles on the Andorra–Spain border
A typical Schengen internal border crossing has no border control post and only a common EU-state sign displaying the name of the country being entered, as here between Germany and Austria. The larger blue sign announces entry to the Federal Republic of Germany in German, the smaller white sign announces entry into the German state of Bavaria.
Schengen arrival gate at Rīga Airport (RIX)
Schengen, Luxembourg
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Schengen is a small wine-making village and commune in far south-eastern Luxembourg, on the western bank of the river Moselle. The commune border includes the tripoint where the borders of Germany, France, and Luxembourg meet.
A view of Schengen
Ceremonial marker near the tri-point of France, Germany and Luxembourg