What is a town twinning scheme? Town
twinning schemes are official partnerships between towns – across national borders. They promote the exchange of people, cultures and ideas. The aim is to foster understanding and tolerance and to bring Europe to life in everyday life.
Through encounters, school and youth exchanges, cultural projects and joint celebrations, lasting connections are forged, which are actively shaped by local residents, clubs and schools.
For many years, the town of Kitzingen has maintained lively and warm town twinning relationships with three European towns:
Our Italian twin town, Montevarchi, is situated in the heart of Tuscany, one of Italy’s most beautiful regions, 977 kilometres from Kitzingen. Since 1984, numerous partnership activities in sport, culture, education and business have linked this typically Italian town, with a population of 25,000, with Kitzingen. In this charming hilly countryside, the deep-red Chianti thrives, as does the famous Vino Santo. Significant cities such as Florence, Arezzo and Siena are located in the immediate vicinity.
The French twin town of Prades is situated in a region rich in contrasts, between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, near the Spanish border. It is 50 kilometres from the Mediterranean. The town in Roussillon, at the foot of the 2,785-metre-high Canigou, has a population of around 7,500 and is 1,260 kilometres from Kitzingen. Peaches, kiwis and figs thrive here, as do a full-bodied red wine (Roussillon-Village), the aperitif Rivesaltes and the dessert wine Banyuls. Set amidst a landscape steeped in history, these are the “pearls of Catalan Romanticism”.
Regular school exchanges and community trips have been a tradition since 1984.
The twinning with the Polish town of Trzebnica (Trebnitz) was established in 2009. Kitzingen has a special connection with Trzebnica through Saint Hedwig of Silesia. As a young girl, she received her education at Kitzingen Abbey, and she found her final resting place in the Basilica of Trzebnica. The district town, with a population of around 13,000, is approximately 650 kilometres away and lies 20 kilometres north-east of the city of Wrocław. The countryside around Trzebnica is predominantly agricultural. Visits are organised for schoolchildren, youth groups and members of the public.
We warmly welcome residents, organisations and schools wishing to get involved in town twinning schemes. Together, we can send a message of openness, understanding and friendship across Europe.
These partnerships are more than just formal agreements – they thrive on encounters, hospitality and shared experiences. They help to build bridges between cultures and bring Europe to life on a small scale.
The Friends of Kitzingen’s Twin Towns Association (e.V.) has set itself the task of fostering links with Kitzingen’s twin towns, Montevarchi (Italy), Prades (France) and Trzebnica (Poland) through mutual exchanges between families and young people, sports clubs, cultural organisations and other interest groups, and to build bridges of friendship with our neighbours.
Dear fellow citizens! Join us in building the European project and do your bit to foster understanding and cooperation with our partners in a ‘Europe without borders’.