The Pioneers statue celebrates the canal builders who founded Ellesmere Port and was cast in bronze by Liverpool artist Stephen Broadbent.
Ellesmere Port has been twinned with Reutlingen, Germany, since 1966.
The twinning scheme fosters mutual understanding and goodwill between the people of the two towns.
Twinning also encourages educational, cultural, sporting, business and social exchanges.
The scheme originally started with school exchanges but, over the years, has developed into exchanges of groups with shared interests, including students to adults.
When Ellesmere Port and Neston became one borough in 1974, Neston joined the twinning scheme.
Reutlingen sits to the south west of Germany, and can trace its history back at least 1,500 years. Overlooking the town is the Achalm, a 707 metre foothill of the Swabian Mountains, and Georgenberg, a 602 metre extinct volcano.
Today the town has a population of more than 100,000 and Ellesmere Port, has made the transition from industrial town to a hub for service industries and business.
If you would like further information about town twinning in Ellesmere Port and Neston, please contact the Mayor's Secretary (e-mail: Collette Linford).
You can also visit our twin town's tourism website
And you can visit the town council's website by clicking on the link below:
