Nashville's Sister Cities
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. The region's connection
with Tennessee dates from the Scots-Irish settlement
of the area in the eighteenth century to the diverse relationships and cultural ties that link Belfast and Nashville
today. Belfast has been an official sister city of Nashville since 1995 in a partnership focusing on social projects,
education, and musical and cultural exchange.
Caen, the capital of Lower Normandy, is located a few miles inland from the D-Day beaches. It was one
of William the Conqueror's capitals and the departure point for his invasion of England. Caen was Nashville's first
active sister city with the relationship originating nearly thirty years ago. It became an official sister city in 1991. Programs
have included annual delegation visits, academic exchanges, programs for students and lawyers, and even basketball games between
local teams.
Edmonton, Canada
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta, Canada. Beginning
as a fur trading post at the end of the 1700s, the city has grown into an economic, political, and educational center with
a population of over one million. Known as Canada's "festival city," Edmonton hosts numerous international events in the summer
and throughout the year celebrating culture and the arts.
Magdeburg, Germany
Magdeburg is located along the Elbe River in northern Germany about 90 miles west of Berlin. The importance
of the city, which recently celebrated its 1200th birthday, extends from the middle ages through the Reformation to the present.
Just to the east of the former inner-German border, Magdeburg is now the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. It has maintained a very
active partnership with Nashville for several years and became its official sister city in 2003.
Mendoza, Argentina
Located in the
eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, Mendoza has a population of 112,000, and the greater metropolitan area has a population
of approximately 850,000. Two of the region’s main industries are wine making and olive oil production. Mendoza
has been designated as one of the eight great wine capitals of the world. With its proximity to the mountains, Mendoza is
a frequent destination for visitors wishing to engage in mountaineering, hiking, rafting and horseback riding activities. In
2008, National Geographic named the city as one of the top 10 historic destinations in the world. Mendoza
became an official sister city of Nashville in March 2009.
Taiyuan, China
Taiyuan, China became an official sister city to Nashville in April 2007. It is the capital city of Shanxi Province.
A military town in ancient times, Taiyuan is now one of China's major industrial cities. Tourist attractions include
Jinci Temple pictured to the right, the Twin Pagoda Temple
(Shuangta Si), and the Tianlong Shan Stone Caves with sculptures from the time of the Tang Dynasty. The new partnership between
Nashville and Taiyuan builds on a longstanding regional partnership established between Tennessee and Shanxi Province in the
1980s. Click here or on the photo to the right to view a video about Taiyuan and the partnership with Nashville.
International Friendship City - Crouy, France
On Monday,
February 11, 2008, Nashville, Tennessee and Crouy, France officially became International Friendship Cities. The proposal to twin Nashville and Crouy was initiated by Steve Schmoldt of Nashville
in October 2006 when he discovered that Captain Charles M. Peal from Nashville had died while flying a mission over the town
during World War II. The people of Crouy risked their own safety to give Captain Peal a proper burial during the
war and later erected a monument and named a street in his memory. Click here to learn more about the history of the Crouy-Nashville relationship.
Municipality United in Friendship - Port de la
Selva, Spain
Port de la Selva, Spain and Nashville,Tennessee became
Municipality United in Friendship in March 2009. A picturesque resort town situated on the northern side
of the Cap Creus peninsula, Port de la Selva is a popular destination for tourists from Spain (Barcelona primarily), France
and Scandinavia. The beach is especially popular with wind surfers. The surrounding village with its many footpaths
leads visitors to explore numerous historical sites from the megalithic era and Medieval times. While tourism is a main
source of livelihood, the primary source of income in this quaint village is fishing.
Candidate Cities
Sister Cities of Nashville is currently
building relationships with cities in several countries with the goal of establishing official sister-city partnerships. Countries for
which committees have been formed include:
Japan
South Korea (Gwangjin-Gu)
Turkey
(Diyarbakir)
If you are interested in joining in the
efforts of any of these committees, please contact Heather Cunningham at director@scnashville.org.
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