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Huntingdon & Godmanchester Twinning Association

Huntingdon and Godmanchester are twinned by official charter with Salon-de-Provence in France; Wertheim-am-Main in Germany and Szentendre in Hungary. The aims of the Twinning Association are to encourage international friendship; foster cultural understanding; facilitate school and business links and encourage language learning. A close partnership between Huntingdon & Godmanchester Town Councils and the Twinning Association makes this possible.

Huntingdon & Godmanchester Twinning Association (HGTA) holds social events to raise funds to send local young people to our twin-towns for our annual Festival of Youth. The HGTA also hosts these international festivals when they are due to take place here. New members are always welcome. Family membership of the Twinning Association costs £5 a year and corporate membership is available for £10 a year. If you would like to support our activities, please contact The HGTA Membership Secretary, c/o The Town Clerk, Huntingdon Town Council,1 Trinity Place, Huntingdon, PE29 3QA. Tel: 01480-388688 Alternatively, c/o The Town Clerk ,Godmanchester Town Council, The Town Hall, Godmanchester PE29 2NB, Tel: 01480-388870

Salon-de-Provence is a marvellous holiday destination. It is not far from Marseilles, on the Mediterranean coast, and the dramatic Camargue, with its black bulls and famous white horses. The towns of Avignon, Arles and Aix-en-Provence are also within easy reach. Salon clusters around the Chateau de l’Emperi, one of the oldest fortresses in France, now a military museum. One of Salon’s most famous residents was the astrologer Michel de Nostredame. His house is now a museum and a medieval festival in his honour is held every July. Salon has open-air cafes, good restaurants and a lively market selling everything from fish, fruit and vegetables to materials in traditional Provençal patterns as well as the soap, lavender and olive oil for which the area is well-known.

Wertheim-am-Main is situated at the confluence of the rivers Main and Tauber not far from Frankfurt in the German ’Land’ of Baden-Wurttemberg. The ‘Altstadt’ or Old Town is very charming with many beautiful half-timbered buildings. Wertheim holds an ‘Altstadtfest’ each July when the town is thronged with merry-makers.The most prominent landmark is the ‘Burg’ or old castle which once belonged to the Counts of Wertheim but is now owned by the town. There is now a restaurant there with fine views over the town and local countryside. Another local landmark is the ‘Spitze Turm’, or pointed tower, which was once a corner of the old city wall. Places to visit include the Historical Museum and the Glass Museum where there are demonstrations of glass-blowing. The nearby medieval town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber is also worth a visit.

Szentendre is a picturesque town on the banks of the Danube. It has a strong tradition of folk-dance and music and is also home to many of Hungary’s artists. Folk-dancing displays take place regularly at Skansen - the local open-air folk-history museum. There is also an unusual Marzipan museum with an amazing range of exhibits made from this local delicacy. Restaurants and bars are good and there’s even an ‘English’ pub - the Red Lion. Local specialities include pike-perch and wild boar as well as the well-known Hungarian goulash. Wine, delicately embroidered blouses, tablecloths and napkins and the wonderful Harend porcelain are all good buys for bargain-hunters. And the beautiful city of Budapest with its sophisticated culture and lively nightlife is only half an hour away by car or train and can be reached by boat along the Danube.

For more information visit our website at www.hgta-online.co.uk.