Swindon is a town of around 200,000 people, having expanded rapidly during the railway era it now features prominently as a magnet for light industry and office & administration centres along the M4 corridor Bristol to London motorway.

For more information about Swindon, see our directory of local websites.

Torun is in central Poland on the banks of the Vistula, A prominent trade centre in the middle ages much of the early architecture has been preserved and Torun is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and attracts tourists and academics from around the world.

In 2003 Torun and Swindon signed a friendship and partnership agreement, further information at www.swindontorun.org.uk

Thanks to its historical past Torun is often regarded as an educational and cultural centre, its status similar to that of Oxford or Bath in England. Annual events include a number of international festivals including the Kontakt Theatre Festival.

The town has just over 200,000 residents who are relatively well educated, traditionally employed in the service and light industry sectors. Copernicus University caters to around 30,000 students most of whom are permanently resident in the town.