Visit to Frankenau 2-7 October 2024

Between 2-7 October 2024 a group of Wirksworth Twinners went to visit our twin town Frankenau in Germany.

17 people from Wirksworth travelled to Frankenau for this joint visit with friends from Die and indeed some visitors from the town of Crest close to Die. About half of the Wirksworth group made their own travel arrangements and added holiday time either before or after the visit.

The group travel team set-off by rail from the statue of Sir John Betjeman at St Pancras and despite some delays and re-routing for engineering works, the travel was enjoyable and included the bonus of an unexpected stop-off in Cologne where there was time to visit right next to the station.  

The Association chose to choose rail travel as the air travel alternative would have created 38 times as much carbon in emissions. 

The twinning programme included walks, historical tours of nearby Frankenberg and to the Huguenot village of Louisendorf where one of the guides met us in seventeenth century Huguenot costume. 

The group also took a boat trip on the Edersee lake behind the famous dam, listened to an organ recital and had plenty of time for chatting and partying.

We send huge thanks to out hosts for such a warm welcome and an interesting programme.

This poem composed in German by twinning member Evan Rutherford, was shared with all participants at the Frankenau event through this video montage which was supported by photo images taken by U3A Photographic group.(English translation of the text below)