Schengen (Luxembourgish: [ˈʃæŋən] , French: [ʃɛŋɡɛn] , German: [ˈʃɛŋən]) is a 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.
After the mergers with Burmerange and Wellenstein in 2011, the commune has a population of 4,224 with an area of 31.42 square kilometres (12.13 sq mi).
The Schengen Area (English: /ˈʃɛŋən/ SHENG-ən, Luxembourgish: [ˈʃæŋən] ) is a system of open borders that encompass 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) 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.
Of the 27 EU member states, only two are not members of the Schengen Area. Cyprus is committed by treaty to join the system and aims to do so by 2026, although its participation has been complicated by the occupation of Northern Cyprus by Turkey since 1974. Ireland maintains an opt-out and operates its own visa policy.
The Schengen Agreement (English: /ˈʃɛŋən/ SHENG-ən, Luxembourgish: [ˈʃæŋən] ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the ten member states of the then European Economic Community. It proposed measures intended to gradually abolish border checks at the signatories' common borders, including 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.
In 1990, the Agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention which proposed the complete abolition of systematic internal border controls and a common visa policy. The Schengen Area operates very much like a single state for international travel purposes with external border controls for travellers entering and exiting the area, and common visas, but with no internal border controls. It currently consists of 29 European countries covering a population of over 450 million people and an area of 4,595,131 square kilometres (1,774,190 sq mi).
Burmerange (French pronunciation: [byʁməʁɑ̃ʒ]; Luxembourgish: Boermereng; German: Bürmeringen [ˈbʏʁməʁɪŋən]) is a village in the canton of Remich, in south-eastern Luxembourg.
It used to be a commune until it was merged into Schengen (along with Wellenstein) in 2011.
Wellenstein (German pronunciation: [ˈvɛlənʃtaɪn]; Luxembourgish: Wellesteen) is a small town in southeastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Remich, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher.
It used to be a commune with its administrative centre at Bech-Kleinmacher, until it was merged into Schengen (along with Burmerange) in 2011.
Bech-Kleinmacher (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛçˈklaɪnmaxɐ]; Luxembourgish: Bech-Maacher [ˌbæɕˈmaːχɐ] ) is a small village in the commune of Schengen, in south-eastern Luxembourg. As of 2025, the village has a population of 717.
The village lies along the Moselle River, which forms the border with Germany. The area has been settled at least since Roman times as evidenced by the reconstructed funeral chamber that sits on a hilltop overlooking the river. Wine production is a major industry in Bech-Kleinmacher and the village is surrounded by vineyards.