The Caerphilly and District Twinning Association has returned from its bi-annual visit to Brittany.
The visit coincided with the 25th anniversary of Llanbradach’s link to the small Breton town of Ploubezre.
To mark the twinning, which began in 1994, a public parking space in Ploubezre was named after Llanbradach.
In 2010, the road between the Llanbradach bypass and the Wingfield traffic lights was renamed ‘Rue de Ploubezre’ to commemorate the twinning arrangement.
Cllr Colin Mann, who represents Llanbradach, met with mayor of Ploubezre Brigitte Gourhant during the trip, which started on Wednesday, July 24 and finished on Sunday, July 28.
The visiting party also took part in a reception in nearby Lannion Town Hall and had a tour of a museum commemorating the flax industry, which saw Brittany become a leading exporter of linen 200 years ago.
The group also had a tour of the town of Treguier, where they visited a local brewery.
After returning from the trip, Cllr Mann said: “It was great, we had an excellent visit.
“The link gives a lot of people the chance to experience things they wouldn’t have otherwise had and to get to know new areas.
“We stay with families over there and they stay with us when they come over.
“We’ve built a lot of friendships over the years.”
Cllr Mann also spoke of the Celtic heritage and identity that Wales shares with Brittany, which has it’s own native language that shares similarities with Welsh.
The cost of the trip was covered by a number of fundraising and social events organised by the twinning association.
Llanbradach’s twinning with Ploubezre came about from Caerphilly’s link to neighbouring Lannion, in the north of Brittany, which began in 1991.
The link has seen a number of exchanges between the two communities, including Llanbradach Football Club travelling to the area to face Breton side AS Servel Lannion.
As part of the link, the association will welcome between 40 and 50 visitors from Brittany to Caerphilly next summer.