Chinon an der Vienne
Chinon is located between Tours and Angers in the Département Indre-et-Loire and has a population of around 9,000.
Contacts with Hofheim have existed since 1966, an official partnership since 1967.
Both archaeological finds and the town's name "Chinon" (derived from the Celtic "Kain" = Latin "Cayno") bear witness to Celtic settlement. Under Roman rule, a Gallic oppidum (fortified town) and a castrum (camp) were established. Around 410 AD, the first church was consecrated to St. Martin, the foundations of which are still preserved. According to researchers, the first documentary mention of the town also dates from this period (410 to 440). In the 10th century, there were reports of the construction of a castle, which was later expanded into a palace and destroyed in 1699. According to tradition, Richard the Lionheart died in Chinon in 1199. Joan of Arc met King Charles VII there in 1429. François Rabelais was born in Devinière near Chinon in 1490.
Even today, the townscape is still dominated by the numerous 15th and 16th century houses in Rue Voltaire and Grand Carroi. Modern Chinon is the seat of the sous-prefecture of the arrondissement and is well equipped with schools of all kinds, such as an agricultural school and a technical high school, as well as a district hospital, a retirement and nursing home and a youth center.
Although tourism plays a major role in the economic life of the town, Chinon owes its great popularity across all borders primarily to its wine.
Since the beginning of the partnership, there have been numerous and cordial contacts between associations in Hofheim and Chinon, but also between individual families, which are intensively cultivated and promoted. Mutual visits are a matter of course.
Further information can be found on the homepage of the Hofheim Town Twinning Association (FHS):
www.fhs-online.de
www.ville-chinon.com
Chinon - Citizens' meetings
People from Hofheim tell their stories about their experiences in Chinon.
Last year, more than 50 guests from Chinon, Hofheim's French twin town, visited again over Ascension Day as part of the town twinning program.
In addition to 35 adults, 14 young people also came - to the great delight of the Hofheim Town Twinning Association - and a special program was even prepared for them.
All guests were accommodated in private households in Hofheim and the surrounding area. The hosts deserve our heartfelt thanks!
On Thursday evening, the town invited the hosts and their guests to a welcome drink in the town museum. The guests then spent the evening with their hosts.
On Friday morning, the adults took the bus to Rüdesheim in glorious weather and from there boarded a boat for a Rhine cruise to St. Goar, during which the history of the Loreley and other sights were explained. At the Rheinfels castle ruins, everyone enjoyed a guided tour in German with French translation. Afterwards, they were able to explore the little town on a short stroll. Afterwards, the bus took them back and a successful day came to an end with a stop at the Gutsausschank Kahl in Massenheim.
Experience has shown that the French guests always appreciate spending Saturday morning at the market in Hofheim, where they can shop and meet friends from Hofheim and Chinon. And so the support group had planned a visit to Wallau, one of Hofheim's districts, for the afternoon of Saturday.
Mr. Exner, the first city councillor at the time and himself from Wallau, gave a very interesting tour of the new Ländcheshalle and also showed the pretty town center, the "Wanaloha" house and various old farms, especially that of the Born family with an old printing press.
In the evening, everyone - hosts, guests, young and old - met for a picnic in the moated castle. The weather played along and so it was a very nice, relaxed evening with plenty of opportunity to meet and chat, and there was also time for a game of table tennis and pétanque.
On Sunday morning, the traditional wreath-laying ceremony was held at the memorial to commemorate the dead of the world wars, accompanied by music from the Hofheim music school. Afterwards, the afternoon was free for the host families and their guests to do as they pleased.
In the evening, everyone met in the Marxheim community center for the official farewell evening. The atmosphere was very good, people ate and drank together and perhaps even exchanged an anecdote or two.
On Monday morning at 8.00 a.m., it was time to say goodbye with a heavy heart - see you next year in Chinon over Ascension Day!
From Beate Barth and Brigitte Wacker-Traue
Hofheim and Chinon have a long-standing, intensive and well-maintained relationship - and not just among the adults!
The group dynamic among the young people was quite unique. Even if the language barriers were not always the same, they definitely understood each other well.
The excursions in particular helped them to increasingly bond as a team. The group activities, such as the city rally through Frankfurt or bowling in Wiesbaden, brought a lot of smiles to everyone's faces and were great fun.
My personal highlight: the last evening. Just like the previous evenings, the last evening was celebrated in style. After a joint farewell dinner in the Marxheim community center, the young people spent the evening together under the starry sky and toasted to the past days.
On Monday morning, many emotional faces were seen and our French guests were bid farewell with a smile and a tear in their eye.
The anticipation is huge when it's time to say "Ça va à Chinon" again in about a year's time
By Victoria Hegeler
Friends from France were guests
Shared experiences strengthen friendship - what applies to private friendships also applies to town twinning. Over the Ascension weekend, more than 50 French people from the twin town of Chinon were guests in Hofheim. After a festive reception in the town museum on Thursday, there were numerous activities on the program over the three days of the visit.
To everyone's delight, 30 young people from Chinon were also part of the delegation. The Freundeskreis Hofheimer Städtepartnerschaften e.V. had put together a special program for them. Among other things, they went bowling in Wiesebaden and on a digital city rally in Frankfurt. For everyone else, there was a boat trip on the Rhine, a hearty stop at a winery in Massenheim and a visit to the International Museum Day at the city museum. The deceased were also remembered at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Hofheim memorial. A cozy evening in the Marxheim community center concluded an eventful weekend among friends.
City of Hofheim, 25.05.2023
Stay in Chinon
With our bags packed, excited and full of anticipation, we, the students from Hofheim, boarded the bus to Chinon. After we had all had a good night's sleep, impatience and curiosity began to spread on the bus. After 13 hours, we finally got off the bus and looked for our correspondents with beating hearts. We all received a very friendly welcome and the first conversations with the French began with a welcome drink. Relatively soon we left the meeting place and drove to our separate host families. The first night was still quite new and unfamiliar for many of us, but the hospitable families made it very easy for us to settle in for the most part.
On the first morning, we all met at Espace Rabelais and took the bus to Espace Rochelude, where we got to know each other better during a round of introductions and a picnic. We then went on to "Acrobranches", which means forest climbing. The activity allowed us to get to know our exchange partners. After a short time, many of us had already made new friends. After climbing, we drove back to the Espace Rabelais and had the rest of the day free. We all decided to go to the beach on the Vienne with our exchange partners and got drinks there. We ended the evening with French music playing in the background.
The next morning we had to be at the Espace Rabelais at 10:00 am. We formed groups and explored Chinon on a city rally. The many questions were very informative and we got to know the city a lot better.
The program continued in the afternoon and we explored "La forteresse de Chinon". The modern guided tour with Ipads taught us a lot about royal life in the castle and Joan of Arc. We then walked to a small chapel in the blazing sun. We then walked further into the city and got an impression of the street music in Chinon [Chinon en fanfares]. We finished off with an ice cream and then drove back to our host families, exhausted. We all took the word "coup de soleil" with us from this day.
On Sunday, our last day, we met at the "monument aux morts". We laid flowers at the monument in memory of the dead from past conflicts between France and Germany. We then walked to a pear tree that was planted exactly 25 years ago to mark the 30th anniversary of the town twinning. We then listened to a speech by the mayor in the town hall. As Christian Vogt was unable to attend, a letter from him was read out in which he emphasized the importance of intercultural peace.
Sunday afternoon was free. While some of us enjoyed the view on a canoe trip across the Vienne, others played volleyball on the beach.
In the evening, we all dressed up to attend dinner at the "Château du Coudray Montpensier". Although we were a little disappointed not to be able to join the other guests in the castle, we enjoyed the view of the magnificent castle gardens and chatted with our exchange partners. The next morning, it was time to say goodbye to our exchange partners and board the bus back to Germany. We all realized how important intercultural exchange and peace are for unity in Europe. Also, and most importantly, the friendships we have made are for life.
By Evelina Paladi & Hannah Richter
55ème Anniversaire Chinon - Hofheim
To mark the 55th anniversary of the partnership, Chinon invited representatives of the town of Hofheim, members of the Hofheim Town Twinning Association and citizens from Hofheim, including 17 young people.
From 26 to 30 May 2022, a varied program awaited the visitors in our French twin town. As soon as the bus arrived in Chinon in the early evening, there was a joyful reunion after the long break due to the pandemic. Guests and hosts for the next four days quickly got to know each other. Some Hofheimers were also accommodated in hotels. A guided tour of the romantic old town, a visit to the Château l'Islette in Azay-le-Rideau and a stroll through Chinon on Saturday evening under the motto "Chinon en Fanfares" (several marching bands marched through the town) were the highlights of the program for the following days.
The hosts had prepared an extra program for the young people, e.g. climbing in a treetop path and a city rally through Chinon. Sunday was reserved for the official events. It began in the morning with the laying of a wreath at the war memorial by Mayor Dupont and First City Councillor Exner on behalf of Hofheim's Mayor Vogt, who was unfortunately unable to take part in the trip, which he very much regretted.
Afterwards, an information board about Hofheim was inaugurated at "Place Hofheim" - a gift from the town of Hofheim to Chinon to mark its 55th anniversary.
This was followed by the obligatory "vind'honneur" (reception) in the town hall. This was followed by speeches from the Mayor of Chinon, the First City Councillor of Hofheim, Wolfgang Exner, and the City Councillor Matthias Hees, responsible for town twinning, who read out a letter from Christian Vogt, among others.
The festive farewell dinner took place in the impressive castle of Coudray Montpensier de Seuilly. To the surprise of the guests, a large picture framed in gold was presented. It shows the beautiful old town of Chinon from the river Vienne with the mighty castle towering over the town. The picture now hangs in the "Chinon" meeting room in Hofheim town hall.
Many thanks to all the organizers of this visit, both on the part of Chinon with Jean-Louis Guillou as chairman of the "Jumelage de Chinon" and the city administration of Chinon with Mayor Dupont at the head as well as on the part of Hofheim with the chairwoman of the FHS, Ingrid Bender and the two responsible speakers Beate Barth and Brigitte Wacker-Traue.
By Beate Barth & Matthias Hees
The Förderkreis Hofheimer Städtepartnerschaften e.V. (Hofheim Town Twinning Association) had extended the traditional invitation and the guests from Chinon arrived on Ascension Day after a long bus journey, exhausted but happy.
16 young people and 32 adults, who could all be accommodated in private homes, were happily awaited by their hosts at the town hall.
In his welcome address at the town hall, First Councillor Wolfgang Exner emphasized the importance of this town twinning, which has now existed for 52 years. He was particularly pleased that numerous young people had once again come to Hofheim.
On Friday, two buses departed for a visit to the episcopal city of Limburg an der Lahn.
"Experience history at every turn, living Middle Ages in a living city" is how the city of Limburg advertises its historic old town, which was spared from the bombs of the Second World War. This and much more was explained during a guided tour of the city. This was followed by a guided tour of the cathedral in French for those interested, before everyone met up for lunch.
The group then had plenty of time to explore the other sides of Limburg with its cafés, small shops and boutiques before the bus took everyone to a winery in Hochheim for dinner. A varied day came to an end in a cheerful atmosphere.
On Saturday morning, a group of around 40 people met at the nature conservation center in the Weilbach gravel pits. There was an introduction to the renaturation program and everyone was able to get an idea of the success during a walk around the site.
Saturday evening, a picnic was held at the moated castle. In glorious sunshine, the guests enjoyed the salads they had brought along, sausages from the support group, cakes and many other delicacies in a convivial atmosphere. There were also plenty of drinks, including wine from Chinon, of course.
On Sunday morning, the traditional wreath-laying ceremony was held at the memorial in memory of the victims of the two world wars. In the evening, more than 110 guests, hosts and members of the association met in the parish hall of the Diedenbergen Protestant church for the popular farewell dinner of every citizens' meeting. Several speeches emphasized how important town twinning meetings are for international understanding.
An invitation for a return visit next year has already been extended to the Förderkreis, so that interested participants can already look forward to this trip. The guests departed at 8:00 a.m. on Monday with sadness in their eyes.
This year, the Förderkreis Hofheimer Städtepartnerschaften e.V. was invited to its twin town Chinon an der Vienne and took 15 young people on this trip who attend the Main-Taunus-Schule, the Gesamtschule am Rosenberg and the Brühlwiesenschule.
Departure at 6 a.m. - what an early time, but everyone wanted to be in Chinon in the evening and after all, it's 856 km according to the kilometer marker on the town hall in Hofheim! Interrupted by a picnic with bread rolls, sausage, cheese and apples, the guests from Hofheim arrived at the Espace Rabelais at around 6:30 pm and were welcomed with wine, juice and cookies. The young people were eagerly awaiting the distribution of their accommodation, and off they went to the families who had prepared the evening meal.
On Friday morning, the young people were able to explore the small town of Chinon with all its charming alleyways before meeting up at the "Caves Plouzeau" for a tour and a wine tasting of white and rosé wines, including an organic wine.
Then it got sporty - boule de fort - a tutorial and demonstration of the game was offered by members of the association, because the game played in the Touraine and Anjou region is not that simple. In contrast to "boules", you play on a curved track that is approx. 22 m long and 6 m wide. The ball is not as round as a boules ball, weighs approx. 1.3 kg and is stronger on one side than the other. The guests from Hofheim were able to try out the game in thick socks, as shoes are not allowed on the court. There was also a barbecue in the garden and delicious salads.
On Saturday, the big excursion to "Terra Botanica" was on the agenda - unfortunately, umbrellas were needed. The park is an extraordinary adventure garden near Angers with great flower arrangements, vegetable gardens, restaurants, boutiques, quizzes and lots of attractions for children and adults. We also had lunch there.
On Sunday, we attended a mass and then met at the Monument aux Morts for a wreath-laying ceremony. In the Caves Painctes at a ceremony of the Wine Brothers, the members of the FHS: Brigitte Wacker-Traue and Christel Krämer officially became members of the Wine Brotherhood of Rabelais after they had emptied the large glass of wine. Speeches were then given and everyone was able to taste the different wines. The official dinner of the city of Chinon then took place again in the Espace Rabelais and of course many gifts were exchanged.
The concert by the "Do dièse" choir in Saint Mexme under the direction of Nathalie, who had already given an enchanting concert in Hofheim, was the crowning glory of the meeting. At 8 a.m. on Monday, the group left for home with the promise of seeing each other again soon. The next meeting will be in Hofheim on Ascension Day 2019.
For older reports, please contact the "Town Twinning" team or visit www.fhs-online.de.