, Beaverton’s sister city since 1993

Heritage museum Local eaterie Directions to city center Overview: With only 16,000 inhabitants, one might think Trossingen is just another rural, small town. However, it’s picturesque location in the southwestern corner of Germany, flanked by the , Swabian Alps mountain range and fascinating musical history make it far from ordinary.

Fun Facts: • Settlements have existed in the Trossingen area since 10,000 BCE.

• Trossingen’s population includes a large number of foreign residents from Italy, Croatia and Serbia.

• Trossingen is a self-proclaimed “Musikstadt” or “City of Music.” It is the birthplace to the world famous Mattias Harmonica Company and Conservatory, the German Harmonica Museum and world renowned Trossingen State Academy of Music. Trossingen also hosts numerous music festivals throughout the year such as the Trossingen Blues Factory and the World Harmonica Festival.

• Trossingen’s Railway Museum boasts the oldest operational electric power car in the world.

Please visit www.BeavertonOregon.gov/SisterCities for more information. Words from a local: I like Trossingen because it’s a quiet city, not too big but with everything you need: shopping, schools and culture. I think it’s a good place to spend your childhood. The “Heimatmuseum” is certainly interesting for visitors. You can learn about the history of Trossingen and the dinosaurs discovered here. Also, I think visitors would enjoy the “Mundharmonikamuseum.” The three cities around Trossingen; Rottweil, , Villingen-Schwenningen, are good to spend an afternoon for shopping. In the evenings you can go to different bars and restaurants or to the cinema. Tuttlingen is also very nice because there is the Donau River. Trossingen isn’t very far from and the Bodensee (). You only have to drive about an hour. On weekends, we go to one of the Trossingen bars, to the little cinema or to the Kesselhaus event center if there is a concert. In nearby Donaueshcingen there are two discos that are fun to visit on weekends. Trossingen hosts many music events throughout the year. I’ve been to the “Bluesfabrik,” a Trossingen Blues Festival which takes place in the Kesselhaus. I enjoyed it because of the atmosphere and good music. Another thing which Trossingen is famous for is the “Pfingstmarkt” or Farmers Market at Pentecost. Our main street is always full on that day. There are people from every village or city around Trossingen. It’s a market but also a fair. Specialty foods in the Trossingen region include “Morgensupp,” a red wine from Württemberg and “Hefezopf,” braided sweet yeast bread. Other Swabian specialties are “Maultaschen,” pasta dough filled with minced meat and “Spätzle,” small dumplings and egg noodles. For sports, we have soccer, handball, tennis, athletics and running teams, but they do it more as a free time activity than as a competition. They are offered for people at every age. You can participate in many outdoor activities around Trossingen. The best place to ski is the Black Forest, but there are some little lifts near Trossingen. If you want to hike, bike or run you can go to the “Gauger,” a small lake in Trossingen with lots of hiking trails around.

Did you know? The capital of Germany is Berlin. The national bird of Germany is the white stork. The national animal of Germany is the black eagle. The official flower of Germany is the knapweed or cornflower. The national currency of Germany is the euro.