France/Cabourg and Spa in Belgium celebrate 50 years of twinning
On Friday May 1, 2026, Mayor Emmanuel Porcq of Cabourg (Calvados) and Mayor Nicolas Tefnin of the Belgian town of Spa once again signed the twinning charter.
In front of the Bruno Coquatrix memorial, Cabourg mayor Emmanuel Porcq and the town council met Nicolas Tefnin, who has been mayor of Spa (Belgium) for the past year and a half. Together, they celebrated half a century of twinning between the two towns, on Friday May1, 2026.
11 towns twinned with Cabourg, soon to be 12
Located on the esplanade of twinned towns, "this monument symbolizes Cabourg's love for twinning. Bruno Coquatrix was a great supporter of twinning," notes the mayor. At the foot of the monument are the coats of arms of the 11 towns twinned with Cabourg: Atlantic City (USA), Bad-Hombourg (Germany), Bromont (Canada), Chur (Switzerland), Jurmala (Latvia), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-Les-Bains(Luxembourg), Oussouye (Senegal), Salcombe (Great Britain), Terracina (Italy) and, of course, Spa (Belgium).
Mayor Emmanuel Porcq has also announced that he is working on a twinning with the Spanish town of Burriana, a seaside resort on the Mediterranean coast.
A 50-year twinning with Spa
This twinning with the Walloon city is a token of "the indefectible friendship between the Belgian and French peoples", asserts Cabourge's first mayor. Spa also joins the circle of twinned towns that includes Cabourg, Bad-Hombourg, Chur, Mayrhofen, Mondorf-les-Bains and Terracina.
The world is at war on Europe's doorstep and in the Straits of Hormuz. The international order is suffering, and the UN hardly exists any more. Without peace, nothing can be done. Twinning can guarantee that peace," stresses the town's first mayor.
"Fifty years of twinning can't be improvised, it has to be built and maintained. In 1976, our two towns decided to forge ties. Twinning is all about meetings, shared memories, travel and the desire to cross borders," explains the new mayor. His predecessor, Sophie Delettre, who was also present, was recently elected president of the Belgian town's twinning committee.
" Since 1976, our two towns have shared some unforgettable moments: pupil exchanges that have sometimes led to lifelong friendships, sporting events where we've gained in good humour We ' ve also enjoyed parties, projects, visits and meals..." explains Monique Bourdais, president of the twinning committee.
Source: www.ouest-france.fr/
