The visitors and dignitaries from the town of Noyon are being looked after by more than 40 volunteer hosts across the Easter weekend.
And members of Hexham Town Twinning Association, who celebrated 25 years of Hexham being twinned with the German town of Metzingen in 2014, have laid on a weekend of celebrations.
A civic reception in the Great Hall at Hexham Abbey, the unveiling of a special plaque to mark the 25-year milestone, and a celebratory dinner at Langley Castle are all planned.
Mon Richford, co-chairman of Hexham Town Twinning Association, said: “Following the referendum decision to withdraw from the EU, it seems to me that it’s even more important for these civic links to be maintained.
“In fact, this may be coincidence, but membership of the town twinning association has increased quite considerably since Brexit, perhaps because some people are looking for other avenues to keep those links alive.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here