France/ The La Gacilly-Hollersbach twinning committee celebrates its 40th anniversary
The 40th anniversary of the La Gacilly-Hollersbach twinning will be celebrated in La Gacilly (Morbihan) in July 2026, and in Hollersbach, Austria, in October 2026. A public meeting will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026 to present the event.
Franck Morand, president of the La Gacilly-Hollersbach twinning committee since 1996, and Jean-Jacques Paris, a member of the association, have drawn up a program to celebrate 40 years of twinning. They will detail it at the meeting on Thursday March 5, 2026: "Gaciliens and residents of surrounding towns are invited to come and offer to welcome visitors or accompany them on outings. They can also sign up for the coach trip to Hollersbach.
The Austrians will be in La Gacilly (Morbihan) from July 13 to 18, 2026. We're expecting around 50 people," explains the president. We have planned festivities, visits and excursions. On July 13, our Austrian counterparts will take part in a fête gacilienne and a fireworks display. The following day, they'll be welcomed at the town hall, and will visit the photo festival and arts and crafts workshops. On the 15th and 16th, they'll head for the Gulf of Morbihan, then on to La Baule and the salt marshes. On the 17th, they'll enjoy a cabaret evening under Les Halles, where all residents can sign up (fee payable).
In October 2026, it's the Bretons' turn to travel by coach to Hollersbach. On October 2, they will visit the village. The following day, they'll head off on an excursion to the Kriml Falls or Europe's largest ski area, Alperg Passturm. They will then attend the official ceremony to mark forty years of friendship and a lively dinner. In the days that follow, they will visit the transhumance festival, discover the Hallein salt mines...
A twinning that creates exchanges
In the 1980s, a subsidiary of the Yves Rocher group was based in Innsbruck. They wanted to create a botanical garden like the one here," recalls Franck Morand. The location was finally found in Hollersbach. Yves Rocher, business leader and mayor of La Gacilly, came to inaugurate it. He found the village attractive and suggested to Anton Kaserer, then mayor, that a twinning arrangement be set up in 1986.
In 1989, 200 of our Austrian counterparts came to La Gacilly for the bicentenary of the French Revolution," adds Jean-Jacques Paris. In 1990, 180 Gaciliens came to the Fête de la Transhumance. Over the past 40 years, we've seen many exchanges between secondary schools, soccer clubs, senior citizens' clubs, associations and vacation camps in the two communes.
Source: www.ouest-france.fr/
