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.