Water-tight containers were used to smuggle chocolate, cigarettes and nylon stockings across the Mosel. Today, of course, people are free to cross via the bridge connecting Schengen in Luxembourg with Perl on the German side. It's certainly no beauty to behold, nor is it a marvel of engineering - but its simplicity reflects the normality of cross-border activity here were Germany, Luxembourg and France meet. Smuggling continues to this day, however - mostly involving cash and contraband.