Twin-towns of Rust
Kulmbach – Germany
In 1981 it was decided that Rust should be twinned with the Upper-Franconian town of Kulmbach on the occasion of the 300th anniversary celebrations of Rust as as “royal free town”. It was a senible move for both towns, because Rust is, after all, a well-known wine-growing town and Kulmbach is the secret beer-capital of Germany.
The contact between both towns has not only existed on a political level for over 20 years, but also on personal level, too – associations including both towns have been formed, such as the “RC – Pedale” – a cycling association, which continues to fly the flag of the German-Austrian friendship.
May visitors comt to the town, which is located near Bayreuth and boast over 20,000 inhabitants, to pay a visit to its magnificent and beautiful castle, the “Plassenburg”, one of the largest castle fortifications in Germany, as well as the many fantastic beer festivals.
Contact: www.kulmbach.de
Tokaj – Hungary
The twinning between Rust and the Hungarian wine town of Tokaj was ceremoniously sealed on September 9, 2006. Mayor Janos Majer and Mayor Harald Weiss signed the twinning agreement between the two cities, which are each at the center of their World Heritage regions. Both cities, which manufacture dessert wines, have been competitors on the international wine markets for centuries. Now it is time to look to the future together and connect these two historic cities.
The name “Tokaj” is associated all over the world with the wine of the same name. Tokaj has also been recognized as “part of the world cultural heritage” because it preserves and maintains the traditions associated with wine and viticulture. The wine-growing region is located in the northeast of Hungary. The fossilized imprint of an ancient Miocene grape leaf was found here, which can obviously be considered as the common ancestor of all today’s grape varieties. It can therefore be stated that grapes have been growing in Tokaj since prehistoric times. This is mainly due to the unique microclimate, the perfect soil conditions created by volcanic and post-volcanic activities, the favorable location on the mountain slopes and the autumn mists rising from the Bodrog and Tisza rivers. The oak used to make the barrels also grows in this area, and a special mold that thrives on the walls of the wine cellars particularly helps the fermentation process of the wines stored there. The result was long considered a medicine and even today this wine is considered a treasure. The French king Louis XIV called it the “king of wines and the wine of kings”.
Contact: www.tokaj.hu
