Kendal opened its arms to its distant relatives last weekend.
The German town of Rinteln, which has been twinned with Kendal since 1992, sent a delegation of 29 women to the area.
Rinteln is remarkably similar to Kendal; a historic rural community based on agriculture, it even has a river running through its heart.
The women, part of the Landfrauen Women’s Institute, came to learn Cumbria’s agricultural secrets and discover how they could attract younger members.
Whilst the famous mintcake failed to tickle their tastebuds, Windermere, Holker Hall and the Wensleydale Creamery ensured the overall visit was a success.
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Astrid Dohme-Ruegge, Chairwoman of the Landfrauen, said: “We really enjoyed visiting Kendal. The Lake District is very beautiful and it was good to see how a rural area in England works.
"We went to a working farm and saw cows being milked. We held a meeting and decided to attract younger women by starting zumba, yoga and thai chi classes.
"The only problem was we didn’t get enough time for shopping!”
Plans are afoot for Kendal's women to return the favour and visit Rinteln soon.
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