Guests from Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère visit Bocholt

From Saturday, 6 December to Wednesday, 10 December 2025, a group from the two French twin towns of Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère visited the European city of Bocholt. The trip was one of the highlights of the 50th anniversary year of the Franco-German Society Bocholt e.V. (DFG). It goes back to an idea that was developed during a delegation trip from the city of Bocholt to France in 2022.

The visit by Bocholt citizens to the twin towns of Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère took place a year later in October 2023. The current return visit by 26 guests from the French twin towns is the first of its kind in years.

The French guests not only stayed in the Europa-Haus Bocholt, but were also accommodated in local host families. The programme of the visit included a reception by the city of Bocholt, a guided tour of the city, a guided tour of the LWL Museum Textilwerk and excursions to Münster, Bredevoort in the Netherlands and Anholt Castle. The French guests celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Franco-German Society Bocholt (DFG) together with their German hosts at the farewell evening in the Mussum local history centre.

"The fact that this citizens' trip can finally take place after many years is a strong sign of the bond between our cities", emphasised the first deputy mayor of the city of Bocholt, Gudrun Koppers, at the official reception. "Partnership thrives on encounters - and that is precisely the central element in these days with our guests from Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère." She therefore expressed her special thanks to the host families, the DFG Bocholt and the friends in Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère who made this trip possible.

Europe in everyday life - thanks to host families and volunteers

This citizens' trip was an important building block in making Europe tangible in everyday life. It deliberately combined sightseeing and guided tours with personal encounters in the host families. "This project would not have been possible without the commitment of the DFG Bocholt, the French partner organisation in Aurillac and Arpajon-sur-Cère and the host families. I am therefore delighted to see how much such encounters fill the town twinning and ultimately Europe with life", explains Petra Taubach, European Affairs Officer for the City of Bocholt.