Strange borders. Berlin Wall of Gorizia.
Gorizia is a town in the north eastern corner of Italy in the foothills of the Alps. The town lies on the border with Slovenia. The current border was set in 1947 as part of a Peace Treaty signed after World War II. Since then, as the city has grown it has affectively grown in two different countries... Gorizia on the Italian side and, on the Slovenian side, the twin city of Nova Gorica (New Gorizia). The border between the two countries effectively divides the city and runs right down the middle of the public square that lies in front of the town's railroad station.
Crossing the border down Via Caprini in order to enter the railway station was not only illegal, but impossible too, because there was a wall running on the border, the so called Berlin Wall of Gorizia,
On the Italian side there was no control at all, and anyone could walk to the wall, while on the Slovenian side there was some very relaxed control.
Slovenian were on the alert inside the station, and it was costantly and throughly patrolled by Slovenian police, because from there anyone could take a train to Italy. (Tiziana Meinardi, a local)
Although the border remains where it has been since 1947, on December 21st, 2007, Slovenia joined the "Shengen Area", a group of 25 European nations that agreed to allow free passage across all borders to member citizens. Shengen Area nations are also now part of the European Union. This vastly eased movement between Italy and Slovenia... including where the border passes through the town of Gorizia. Still, boarding a train in Gorizia, Italy means a walk down Via Guiseppe Caprin, and crossing in Slovenia as you cross the public square in front of the train station. A crossing that not too long ago was considered illegal.
Sources: 1, 2, 3.