Royal Greenwich has a long history of town twinning links with different countries.

A town twinning link is a friendship agreement involving co-operation between two communities in different countries, endorsed by both local authorities.

The twinned communities organise projects and activities around a range of issues. They develop a relationship and understanding of their historical, cultural and lifestyle similarities and differences. These activities involve a wide range of people from the community and can boost skills and the local economy.

Twin towns

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is twinned with three towns:

• Maribor, Slovenia
• Reinickendorf, Germany
• Tema, Ghana

Maribor, Slovenia

Greenwich has been twinned with Maribor since 1966.

Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia and was in the former Communist bloc. It is a riverside university town and can trace its history back 1,000 years.

Skiing is an important activity for locals and tourists, and the biggest ski resort boasts 63km of slopes. Local vineyards produce fine wines, and the town has a 400 year old vine considered to be the oldest in the world. Maribor hosts an annual Lent festival in June and an international festival.

Reinickendorf, Germany

The cold war between East and West was in full swing when the old Metropolitan borough of Woolwich became friendly with the West Berlin borough of Reinickendorf.

At the time of twinning, our German friends were developing a swampy area called the Markischesviertel to create new homes and a new community following the devastation of war. This development bore a resemblance to the work going on in Greenwich to create Thamesmead.

Reinickendorf has many open spaces and lakes. Beside Lake Tegel stands a Greenwich telephone box and a red pillar box - gifted by the borough many years ago.

Similar to Greenwich, Reinickendorf was an industrial town, replaced by the tourist industry.

Tema, Ghana

In 2000, to mark the Millenium, Greenwich twinned with the port town of Tema in Ghana. Situated five miles from Accra, Ghana's capital city, Tema was chosen as it is also on the Meridian line.

To celebrate the town twinning, the Duke of Edinburgh opened the first Information Technology Centre in Tema in 2000.

In July 2005 Greenwich sent a mobile Information and Communications Technology (ICT) learning centre to Tema as part of Greenwich's support for educational development.

The former Greenwich council passenger services bus, converted by the Royal Boroughs own Fleet Management team, was shipped to Tema packed with good-condition books for school libraries, and a number of additional reconditioned second-hand computers.

A number of regular youth exchanges have taken place every year.

Royal Greenwich Town Twinning Association

A group of people living in the borough, including members of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, joined together to create the Royal Greenwich Town Twinning Association in 1968.

The Association helps to maintain contacts and links with the borough's three twinned towns.