View of River Dunabe in Budapest, Hungary, one of Fort Worth's Sister Cities. (Joey Held)
Fort Worth has an extensive network of sister cities all around the world. Learn more about the history of these places and attractions worth visiting.
Sister city partnerships are designed to identify and encourage cultural and economic growth among both cities’ residents. Did you know Fort Worth has nine sister cities across the globe?
With the goal of “building relationships, one city at a time,” Fort Worth Sister Cities is leading the charge with these international partners. There are plenty of ways for you to join in via volunteering, donating, or hosting international visitors.
Let’s learn more about the Fort Worth sister cities, beginning with the one that started it all.
1. Reggio Emilia, Italy
In 1985, Reggio Emilia became Fort Worth’s first sister city. The city used to be a Roman fortress in the Apennine foothills. Today, it’s home to several stunning palaces and cathedrals. Reggio Emilia and Fort Worth’s collaboration has introduced cutting-edge programs for people with disabilities and young athletes, such as the Handicap Life Skills Symposium and the Tricolore Youth Sports Games, a youth version of the Olympics where Fort Worth is the only U.S.-based participant. Of course, no trip to Reggio Emilia is complete without visiting the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory.
City square in Reggio Emilia, Italy, one of Fort Worth’s Sister Cities. (N i c o l a/CC BY 2.0)
2. Nagaoka, Japan
Nestled in Niigata Prefecture, Nagaoka is the fireworks capital of Japan. Fort Worth became Nagaoka’s first sister city in 1987. The city is a major commerce hub and is known for rice production and sake. Cherry blossoms are plentiful in the spring, and the region gets a stunning autumn and impressive snowfall in the winter. Every year, students in Nagaoka and Fort Worth participate in a two-week educational exchange program thanks to over $1 million in scholarship funds.
Nagaoka Tenman-gū in Nagaokakyō, Kyoto prefecture, Japan. (663highland/CC BY-SA 3.0)
3. Trier, Germany
Trier was founded in 16 BC, making it the oldest city in Germany. As you may have guessed, that means there’s a ton of history and ancient monuments. Visitors will also find lots of nature, including the Saar and Ruwer rivers, bountiful forests, and Erbeskpof, the tallest mountain in the Rhineland. There are also volcanoes, but they’re extinct, so you won’t have to worry about an eruption during your stay. Fort Worth and Trier became sister cities in 1987 and have partnered on music and dance performances, cultural exchanges, and hunting expeditions.
Hauptmarkt in Trier, Germany, one of Fort Worth’s Sister Cities. (Billy Wilson/CC BY-NC 2.0)
4. Budapest, Hungary
As the capital of Hungary, Budapest has a lot of culture going for it, such as museums, opera houses, theaters, libraries, and several annual festivals, like the Budapest Spring Festival and the Sziget Festival, one of the largest outdoor music festivals in all of Europe. I visited Budapest a year ago and was tickled by just about everything I encountered, but I have two main recommendations for you. First, Budapest has the largest thermal water cave system, so go to one of the geothermal baths. I recommend Rudas along the Danube River, though Széchenyi and Gellért are also popular. Second, try to come across at least one of the Kolodko statues, a series of miniature sculptures scattered throughout the area (the image of Harry Houdini below is one of my favorites). Budapest became Fort Worth’s sister city in 1990. The two cities collaborated on impressive projects, like the Vision Festival in 2001 and a marching band cultural festival, and TCU features a Budapest campus.
Houdini Kolodko, a small sculpture of Harry Houdini housed in Budapest, Hungary. (Joey Held)
5. Bandung, Indonesia
Bandung had never had a sister city in the U.S. before its partnership with Fort Worth in 1990. Bandung is the “City of Flowers” with gorgeous parks and gardens nearly everywhere you look. It’s also a major technology center, utilizing tech and social media to aid in reporting on floods and traffic jams, and a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. There are significant shopping areas, too, including Jalan Chiampelas, a “jeans street.” Bandung and Fort Worth have a cool relationship, giving participants the opportunity to explore careers in wastewater, security, management, and nursing.
Bandung City West in Indonesia. (Cep Budhi Darma/CC BY-SA 4.0)
6. Toluca, Mexico
If you were going to try to attempt a road trip to any of these places from Fort Worth, Toluca would be your best bet. The 1,109-mile drive would take about 20 hours, but it’s the only sister city without an ocean in the way, so that’s a big plus. Toluca, which sits at the base of the Nevado de Toluca volcano, was established as a city in 1533 and became a Fort Worth sister city in 1998. The two cities partner on a medical school intern program, economic forums, and a monarch butterfly tourism exchange, among other initiatives. Toluca is the capital of the State of Mexico and at 2,680 meters (about 8,790 feet) above sea level, it’s the highest capital city anywhere in North America. Be sure to check out the Plaza de los Mártires, an homage to different events during the Mexican War of Independence.
Architecture in Toluca de Lerdo in Mexico (Marrovi/CC BY-SA 4.0)
7. Mbabane, Eswatini
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is a small country in southeast Africa, situated between South Africa and Mozambique. Mbabane has a population of 95,000 and got its name from Chief Mbabane Kunene. Today, King Mswati III rules the city, making Mbabane a rare monarchy in the world. The city is a major sugar exporter and known for its arts and crafts, such as Ngwenya Glass and Swazi candles. Mbabane received a donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help build a health and social center; Fort Worth has contributed to Mbabane by leading a public library reading corner and delivering nearly 300 wheelchairs and a sustainable repair shop to keep the chairs in good shape.
Aerial view of Mbabane, Eswatini, one of Fort Worth’s Sister Cities. (S’mile Vilakati/Unsplash)
8. Guiyang, China
Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province since 1413, became Fort Worth’s eighth sister city in 2006. Initially a city of industry with exports like aluminum and optical instrument manufacturing, Guiyang has become one of the top science cities in the world. Its extensive history gives it several unique attractions, such as the Jiaxiu Pavilion—shaped as the city’s emblem—and Xifeng Concentration Camp, the highest-level prison during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Guiyang and Fort Worth have put on children’s art ensembles and have participated in the International Leadership Academy, where students and teachers convene in Fort Worth alongside folks from the other sister cities.
Nanming River in Guiyang, China, on of Fort Worth’s Sister Cities. (xiquinhosilva/CC BY 2.0)
9. Nîmes, France
Nîmes is the oldest city on the list, with inhabitants dating all the way back to 4000-3500 BC, and serving as one of the principal cities of Roman Gaul starting around 121 BC. However, it’s the newest partner on this list, becoming a sister city to Fort Worth in 2019. Sometimes called the Rome of France, Nîmes has several impressive pieces of ancient architecture. The Maison Carrée is a reflection of the city’s time as a regional capital, the 30-mile-long Pont du Gard aqueduct helped bring water to its residents, and the Arènes de Nîmes is an amphitheater still in use today, hosting bullfights, concerts, and other public events. Together, Nîmes and Fort Worth have participated in service club projects as well as university, culinary, and adult cultural exchanges.
Arenes de Nîmes in Nîmes, France. (Krzysztof Golik, edited by Janke/CC BY-SA 4.0)
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
