Nestled high in the Jura Mountains, on the precise frontier between France and Switzerland, lies a village and a hotel with a truly unique claim to fame. La Cure, and specifically the Hôtel Arbez Franco-Suisse, is physically divided by the international border, offering guests the rare chance to have breakfast in one country and sleep in another.
A Building Born from a Treaty
The extraordinary situation stems from the 1862 Treaty of Dappes, where France and Switzerland exchanged territory. France gained control of a strategic road, and the new border line was drawn. Seizing a unique opportunity, a local businessman named Alphonse Ponthus decided to construct a property that would straddle both sides of the soon-to-be-finalised frontier.
He opened a bar on the French side and a shop on the Swiss side. Later, in 1921, Jules Joseph Arbez bought the property and transformed it into the hotel that stands today. The result is a building with two addresses: on the French side it is on the Rue de la Frontera in La Cure, while its Swiss entrance is on the Route de France in Cure.
Life on the Line
The invisible border cuts directly through the building, bisecting the restaurant and several guest rooms. This allows for the novel experience of sleeping with your head in France and your feet in Switzerland, or vice-versa. The hotel's restaurant cleverly leverages its dual nationality by serving a mix of French and Swiss cuisine.
Its unique position took on profound significance during World War II. The second floor, where the staircase crossed into Swiss territory, became a refuge for people fleeing German soldiers, offering a few steps to sanctuary.
Guest Reviews and a Broader Border Phenomenon
Now a family-run establishment, the hotel remains a popular curiosity. A double room costs approximately £145 per night based on a three-night stay, and it holds an impressive 4.3-star rating from nearly 700 Google reviews. One recent guest quipped about choosing a room on the quieter French side to avoid Swiss road noise.
The Hôtel Arbez is not the only example of ingenious border-straddling in the region. The Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport, located in the French region of Alsace, serves three countries: Switzerland, France, and Germany. Operating as a "symbol for international cooperation," the airport has both French and Swiss customs sectors and a unique internal border crossing for passengers.
This airport, part of the 'trinational Eurodistrict', handles over 9 million passengers annually and is jointly operated by France and Switzerland, with German advisers on its board. It stands as another testament to how borders in the heart of Europe can be places of connection rather than division.
