CROSSING A LINE

During a border dispute between France and Switzerland in 1862, a businessman in the village of La Cure saw the potential of a cross-border trade in booze and ciggies, and built the Hotel Arbez over the new frontier before it was finalised. Since the only staircase to the first floor crosses the border, the top floor is in neutral Switzerland, and became a refuge for the French Resistance during WW2. Today, you may sleep with your head in France and your feet in Switzerland. ● arbezie.com.