This article is about partnerships between towns distant from each other. See Twin cities for the different concept of physically neighboring cities
Town-Twinning was developed in Europe after the Second World War as a way to bring European people into a closer understanding of each other and to promote cross-border projects of mutual benefit. The idea is to twin towns and cities with similar demographic make-up in different countries. Although still more popular in Europe than elsewhere, the idea has now spread to other continents; in North America the phrase Sister Cities is used.

Within Europe, town-twinning is now supported by the European Union. The support scheme was established in 1989. In 2003 an annual budget of about 12 million Euros was allocated to about 1300 projects.

The following list is a starting point for a complete list of twinned towns. Information may not be complete even for the towns that are listed. Where known, date of formation of the twinning agreement is included in parentheses

Table of contents
1 France
2 Germany
3 Luxemburg
4 Sierra Leone
5 UK

France

also try searching for "jumelage" in the French Wikipedia

Germany

also try searching for
"Partnerstädte" in the German Wikipedia

Luxemburg

Sierra Leone

UK

The list is arranged by
ceremonial county.

Bristol

Cambridgeshire

Cornwall

  • Redruth - Plumergat & Meriadec in France

Derbyshire

Devon

East Riding of Yorkshire

Essex

Leicestershire

London

Northamptonshire

Oxfordshire

Shropshire

Somerset

South Yorkshire

West Midlands