Angers is Austin’s sister city in France. We’ve got all the details that will have you feeling the sisterly love.
What is a sister city?
Also known as twin cities or friendship cities, a sister city relationship is when two different places make an agreement to promote lasting cultural ties. The idea here is to form a fellowship that encourages trade, tourism, and even cultural exchanges + projects.
Get to know Angers
Angers is located in the capital of France’s Maine-et-Loire District . It’s well-known for leading efforts to promote environmentally responsible industrial production, which has resulted in preserving excellent quality of life in the Anjou region.
Talk about long distance… Austin is 5,000+ miles from Angers, France. | Screenshot via Google Maps
Angers + Austin
Turns out the two cities have a lot in common with each other. Our sisterhood began in 2011, 50 years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the nationwide Sister Cities Program .
Both cities are recognized as industrial hubs. While Austin is known for its high number of tech companies, the Anjou region boasts more than 70 multinational firms .
Creative exchange activities between the two cities have included Texas musicians, chefs + entrepreneurs traveling to Angers to celebrate “Austin Week” in 2015 and several Angers-based bands performing at SXSW. The sisterhood has also led to development of the Levitation France festival and the French American Business Council of Austin .
Celebrate the sisterhood
Short of booking a plane trip to Angers, there are lots of ways you can feel the fellowship. We recommend you take a (much shorter) trip to The French Legation State Historic Site on Sat., Nov. 12 to celebrate Angers French Market Day
. You can also register
to be a vendor or sponsor.