Town Twinning
The Council is twinned with Alzey, Rheinhessen, Germany and with Cosne Cours sur Loire, France. Harpenden has enjoyed the link with Alzey since 1963 and with Cosne since 1982.
Alzey is a small, bustling and picturesque market town 30 miles from Mainz in the centre of the winemaking region of Rheinhessen..jpg)
Cosne Cours sur Loire is a small French town situated in the busy centre of an attractive wine-growing district near Sancerre.
The concept of Town Twinning first started back in 1920, but really gathered momentum after World War II when it was seen as an ideal way to rebuild friendships between nations at a local level and maintain peace after the World Wars.
In October 1999, the Town Council, on behalf of the community, was awarded the European "Flag of Honour" by a representative of the Council of Europe at a ceremony held in Harpenden. This honour was bestowed on Harpenden to mark the community’s many and varied links with European communities.
We were delighted to welcome a Civic Party from Cosne, France to Harpenden in March 2006, and a Civic Visit to Alzey, Germany took place in July 2006.
Two local community organisations, the Friends of Alzey ( www.friendsofalzey.com ) and the Friends of Cosne, also enjoy links with the Twin Towns, as do many Harpenden schools, sports clubs and organisations in the town. To find out more about how you can join the Friends of Alzey or Cosne, which organise various social events, exchange visits to France and Germany and conversation evenings, contact 01582 768278.