Report by Mr. Florian Guillon, the City of Varennes-Vauzelles, France
Varennes-Vauzelles (France) and Rheurdt (Germany) cemented their friendship by signing a charter of international cooperation on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, as part of their commitment to the global Mayors for Peace network.
Fourteen German children and two chaperones, including the mayor of Rheurdt, Mr. Dirk Ketelaers, traveled more than 750 kilometers by bus to meet the young residents of Varennes-Vauzelles. The German delegation stayed at a hotel in the commune of Varennes-Vauzelles from October 20 to 24, 2025. A busy schedule awaited them.
On Tuesday, the day began with a tour of the town and discussions about the future of the international partnership with the mayor of Varennes-Vauzelles for Dirk Ketelaers, mayor of Rheurdt. The children, meanwhile, visited the Varennes-Vauzelles school museum and participated in a traditional dictation using purple ink and a quill pen. In the afternoon, the French and German children got to know each other better through fun and sports activities at the Maurice Baquet gymnasium. At the end of the day, the children experienced an emotional moment, celebrating peace and the emerging friendship between the two communities, Rheurdt and Varennes-Vauzelles, during a ceremony in which a plaque was unveiled in front of a flowerbed whose seeds had been donated by the Rheurdt-Shaphuysen Citizenship Museum in 2024.
On Wednesday, the French and German children visited Paris on foot, covering more than 12 km between the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens, and finally the Louvre! It was a truly memorable day for many children, as it was their first time discovering Paris.
On Thursday, the two delegations visited a Formula 4 manufacturing facility at the Nevers Magny-Cours business park, before touring the famous Formula 1 circuit and the automobile museum. In the afternoon, they had the chance to let off steam during a karting challenge. In the evening, a traditional festive gathering concluded a wonderful stay for the children from both towns.
Next year, the children from Vauzellien will discover the town of Rheurdt. “Bis bald, deutsche Freunde!”
Photos: courtesy of the City of Varennes-Vauzelles