How many neighbouring countries does Germany have - and which are they?
From the length of the borders to important joint projects - learn everything you need to know about good neighbourly relations with nine countries.
Germany borders nine countries along a total distance of around 3,750 kilometres. We present the most important facts about the country’s neighbours, all but one of which are in the European Union:
Denmark
Length of border: 68 kilometres
Economic relations: Ranked Germany’s 20th most important trading partner globally and 18th most important in Europe. Good cooperation in the area of renewable energies.
Cross-border project: From 2029, the roughly 18 kilometre-long Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will connect the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland. A road and rail tunnel, it will link the countries as part of the Scandinavia-Mediterranean corridor.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: If you cross the street from the “Grenzkrug Rosenkranz” restaurant in the hamlet of Rosenkranz you will already find yourself in Denmark.
Poland
Length of border: 467 kilometres
Key economic relations: Germany’s fifth-largest trading partner - and third-largest in Europe. Extensive cooperation in the automotive sector and many other branches of industry, collaboration on major infrastructural projects.
Cross-border project: As well as developing road and rail connections such as the route between Berlin and Szczecin, which is due to be completed by December 2026, flood protection for the Oder river - which marks the border between the countries - is another large-scale joint project.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice are separated by the Oder river but linked by the Europa bridge.
Czech Republic
Length of border: 815 kilometres
Key economic relations: Germany’s eleventh most important trading partner globally and ninth most important in Europe. Close industrial cooperation, particularly in the automotive sector
Cross-border project: The two countries are planning a high-speed rail link between Dresden and Prague that will include a 30 kilometre-long tunnel. The project is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: The German-Czech-Polish border triangle is to be found just a few kilometres from Zittau and Hrádek nad Nisou. The site is marked by three large boundary stones featuring the national emblems and flags of the three countries and of the European Union – there is no border fence.
Austria
Length of border: 784 kilometres
Key economic relations: Fifth most important trading partner in Europe, seventh globally. Extensive economic ties, especially in mechanical engineering and tourism.
Cross-border project: The Salzburg – Berchtesgadener Land – Traunstein EUREGIO was already established in 1995. A voluntary alliance between the state of Salzburg (Austria) and the districts of Berchtesgadener Land and Traunstein (Germany), this has led to close cross-border cooperation between local towns in the areas of business, tourism, culture and the environment.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: Lindau (Germany) and Bregenz (Austria) at Lake Constance more or less merge into one. The S1 suburban railway line links the two cities and takes hardly ten minutes to travel between their main railway stations.
Switzerland
Length of border: 348 kilometres
Key economic relations: Eighth most important trading partner globally, sixth in Europe. Extensive trade in the pharma and mechanical engineering sectors, as well as in financial services
Cross-border project: The NRLA project (New Rail Link through the Alps) is being planned as part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to improve the Rotterdam - Genoa axis.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: Germany’s only non-EU neighbour. And that’s why the border, though open, is still a border nonetheless. It passes unseen through the water of Lake Constance, however.
France
Length of border: 451 kilometres
Economic relations: Germany’s second most important trading partner in Europe and fourth worldwide. Close cooperation in the aerospace industry.
Cross-border project: The Franco-German University (FGU), the Centre Marc Bloch (CMB) and the ProTandem Franco-German agency for exchange in vocational training are outstanding binational educational and research institutions.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: The “Friendship Bridge” links Kleinblittersdorf and Großblittersdorf. As the name of the bridge suggests, it’s about more than just village rivalries here - it’s about international friendship: The “small” Blittersdorf is in Germany, while the “big” Blittersdorf is in France.
Luxembourg
Length of border: 138 kilometres
Key economic relations: 41st most important trading partner globally, number 25 in Europe. Close ties in the financial sector.
Cross-border project: mosaHYc (Mosel Saar Hydrogen Conversion) will see Germany, France and Luxembourg build a hydrogen pipeline of around 100 kilometres in length in this border region to advance the energy transition.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: Schengen – synonymous with a Europe with a common internal market and open borders, the village of this name can also be found on the map: The Luxembourg village of Schengen, where the treaty was signed, is to be found in the region bordering France and Germany - and just a short walk from Apach and Perl. Schengen even shares a school with the German town of Perl.
Belgium
Length of border: 167 kilometres
Key economic relations: Important trading partner: number nine worldwide, number seven in Europe. Close collaboration on energy supply.
Cross-border project: One example of the close cooperation on energy supply is the “Aachen Liège Electricity Grid Overlay“ (ALEGrO). In 2020, the 90 kilometre-long underground cable connected the German and Belgian electricity grids for the first time. It can transmit 1,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power a city of a million inhabitants.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: If you head west on Alte Vaalser Strasse in Aachen and then keep right under the tree rather than following the bend in the road to the left, you’ll find yourself in Vaals. You can tell that you are in a different country because the street there has red bike paths and is named Akenerstraat.
Netherlands
Length of border: 577 kilometres
Key economic relations: Germany’s third-largest trading partner worldwide, behind only the US and China. The number one trading partner in Europe.
Cross-border infrastructure project: The process to jointly develop the border region between the Netherlands and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia was launched in 2017. The wide-ranging cooperative projects focus on issues relating to the employment market, education, transport and security. Each year, the Border Region Prize is awarded to outstanding projects.
Where the border has (all but) ceased to exist: Kerkrade - an invisible border runs through the town.
