When we travel, we're often looking for a home away from home.

No matter how far we go from Edinburgh, we often find ourselves perking up at the sound of a local accent or ordering a stout pint while we're away.

So what if there were places dotted all over the world that had a real connection to our hometown?

Well, there are! Edinburgh has ten twin cities spanning the globe, each with its own unique character.

From Asia to the United States, meet all of the cities that have a long-standing connection with our capital city.

Let's dive into each one of them and find out more.


Munich, Germany

Munich was the very first partnership that Edinburgh ever made, beginning all the way back in 1954.

The capital city of Bavaria, Germany's most southern state, is most well-known for Oktoberfest, the annual beer festival that brings thousands of tourists to visit.

Unlike many other cities in Germany, Munich managed to retain much of its older architecture during World War Two. Today, it looks like Edinburgh in some ways, with an attractive mixture of classic and modern buildings.

Munich Oktoberfest
Share a 'stein' of beer with a twinned neighbour at Oktoberfest.

Nice, France,

Partnered since 1958, Nice and Edinburgh are both beautiful cities that attract similar numbers of tourists each year, with Nice bringing in four million and Edinburgh 4.4.

Nice is France's fourth-largest city and dates back to 350BC. Located in the French Riviera, it's a popular holiday destination for many Brits.

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Florence, Italy

Edinburgh and Florence have been twinned since 1964 and both share an unlikely nickname.

Due to its reputation as being the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florance is often called the Athens of the Middle Ages.

Likewise, Edinburgh is known as the Athens of the North, due to its connection to the Enlightenment.

Similarly, both Florence and Edinburgh's Old Town are protected as UNESCO World Heritage spots.

Florence at night
What a stunning city to be twinned with!

Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin and Edinburgh actually share the same name. We know, it doesn't look like it, but Dunedin is named after Edinburgh using Gaelic spelling.

Lots of the streets in our New Zealand sister city actually share the names of roads in our own capital.

Plus, Dunedin is also well-known for having steep hills. In fact, Baldwin Street there would put even our steepest stone alleys to shame.


Vancouver, Canada

Skipping over the pond now, we reach Vancouver, Canada, with whom we've been twinned with since 1977.

A coastal city, like Edinburgh, Vancouver is home to fourth largest ship terminal in the world. Quite a bit larger than Leith docks!

Their harbour is a wee bit more impressive than Edinburgh's.

San Diego, USA

In many ways, San Diego is quite a different sibling to Edinburgh. It's much warmer, much larger, and altogether a contrasting city.

However, our twinned sister city since 1977 does still share one similarity. Any Edinburgh local will know and love Greyfriar's Bobby, and San Diego have their own beloved hound immortalised in a statue, known as Bum, who stands next to their version of our very own Bobby in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Xi'an, China

Xi'an is the largest of Edinburgh's twin cities, with a population of over 8.7 million people.

It's home to the famous Terracotta Army and has been twinned with Edinburgh since 1985.

Kiev, Ukraine

The capital city of Ukraine has been twinned with the capital city of Scotland since 1989.

Much like Edinburgh, Kiev has been recognised for its beauty and is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Kiev is known around the world for its architecture, much like Edinburgh.

Aalborg, Denmark

Twinned since 1991, Edinburgh and Aalborg are both home to famous cultural festivals.

Where Edinburgh has the Fringe, Aalborg has the week-long Aalborg Carnival that attracts 100,000 visitors every year.


Krakow, Poland

Just like Edinburgh, Krakow is also a UNESCO City of Literature and the Old Town is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The two cities have been twinned since 1995 and share rich cultural histories.