Below is a brief history of our twinning weekends with Heerlen, a city in the Netherlands. We first visited in 2000, and since then, we have tried to alternate visits between Shaftesbury and Heerlen.
2000 – Heerlen – First visit of Geoff Pipe and two other Rotarians to Heerlen
2001 – Shaftesbury – Carnival, wine tasting, flooding in Fontmell Magna
2002 – Heerlen – Nekum Winery, Roldus Industrion, Steam Train, Kasteel Oost Valkenburg
2003 – Shaftesbury – Boat trip to Bath, Italian restaurant, Swanage visit
2004 – Heerlen – Sunday Market Liege, Monschau
2005 – Shaftesbury – Boat trip to Poole
2006 – Heerlen – Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, Garden guy, boat trip to Thorn, Caverne Geulhem
2007 – Shaftesbury – Salisbury Cathedral, pig racing,, Kingston Lacy
2008 – Postponed – Due to fire in Eurotunnel
2009 – Heerlen – Tongeren (B), Winery Genoelselderen (B), Vaals
2010 – Shaftesbury – Wells Cathedral
2011 – Heerlen – C-mine Genk, Arresthotel Roermond
2012 – Shaftesbury – Furleigh Estate Winery, Fish & chips at Philip’s house, Stourhead
2012 – Heerlen – Gaiazoo, Concert in Heerlen, Aachen Cathedral
2014 – Shaftesbury – Great Dorset Steam Fair, Shelley Theatre (Red Arrows Talk), Bournemouth Air Show
2016 – Heerlen – local brewery, castle and modern art exhibition and children’s school funded by Ronald McDonald
2017 – Shaftesbury – SS Great Britain, Clifton suspension bridge, Haines Motor Museum
2018 – Heerlen – Buffet welcome meal, Monastic Vineyard Wine tasting
2019 – Shaftesbury – Somerset Cider Company tour, Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm Museum, Hauser and Wirth gallery, Godminster Cheese Shop.
2020 – Visit to Heerlen postponed due to Coronavirus pandemic
2021 – Cancelled due to Covid.
2022 – Heerlen – Meerssen, GloArt, Hoensbroek Castle, Heerlen town development
2023 – Shaftesbury – The Nest and Roman villa, Messums
2024 – Heerlen – planned for autumn
For more information on the Heerlen Rotary Club, please click this link: RC Heerlen (rotary.nl)
