Four of Edinburgh's twin cities you may want to add to your bucket list – Steve Cardownie

Edinburgh must not forget bonds of friendship formed with its twin cities all over the world

The Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, southern Germany, is renowned across the world (Picture: Christof Stache/AP)

In common with other cities throughout the world Edinburgh has a number of twin cities which endeavour to promote joint activity in the fields of commerce, education, culture and sport among others, with varying degrees of success. A brief run through of some of the cities in question may surprise some readers and evoke memories of places already visited or hopefully encourage others to add a couple to their must-see bucket list.

Munich, GermanyThis twinning link was established in 1954 and has been fairly active over the last six-and-a-half decades.

As the capital of Bavaria, it is a city which is immersed in culture and tradition. It boasts more than 125 miles of cycle paths which, along with its excellent public transport network, go a long way to ensure that traffic emissions are low in comparison to some other cities of similar size.

Street performers abound and beer gardens offer a stage for musicians and folk dancers alike with the annual beer and folk festival, “Oktober Fest,” running from mid- or late-September through to the first Sunday in October, attracting world wide acclaim.

Dunedin, New Zealand

Twinned in 1974, this city, based on the Gaelic name for Edinburgh due to the large number of Scottish settlers putting down roots there, is a place of natural beauty, with its shallow beaches and rugged coastline.

The street names mirror those of Edinburgh so walking along Princes Street, George Street or Hanover Street should quite literally be a dawdle, coupled with a stroll along The Water of Leith.

It is home to New Zealand’s oldest university, with a flourishing student community, as well as museums and monuments with Rabbie Burns taking pride of place.

Xi’an, China

This capital of the country’s Shaanxi province twinned with Edinburgh in 1985 and is where the “Emperor’s Warriors” or The Terracotta Army was discovered and was also the eastern end of the merchant route, the Silk Road.With over 3,000 years of history the city is regarded as the birthplace of Chinese civilisation and attracts scholars and tourists in vast numbers. The city extends a warm welcome to visitors and the people are exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Kiev, Ukraine

Twinned with Edinburgh since 1989 it is fiercely independent and proud of its own culture and heritage having shaken off the yolk of Russian dominance exerted through the establishment of the Soviet Union.

A vibrant nightlife with a number of theatres, bars, clubs and restaurants in the city centre, it offers entertainment well into the wee small hours. Monasteries and churches abound with St Andrew’s Church at the top of the city’s oldest street also named after Ukraine’s patron saint, attracting tourists and locals who meander down the winding street showcasing arts and crafts, to the former Jewish quarter, Podil.

Edinburgh’s philosophy has always been that twinning links should be meaningful and should provide reciprocal benefits for each city, hence the exchange of school visits, exhibitions, sporting and commercial links which have been an almost constant feature.

Obviously in times of severe budget constraints twinning activities take a back seat but they are always there in the background, ready to be reinvigorated when the environment lends itself to doing so.