Usine du Creux, Vallée des Usines, Thiers

Spectacular, the Valley of Factories is a pleasant way to climb to the summit of Thiers while avoiding main road traffic. The richness of the industrial heritage is remarkable.

Given the long tradition of craftsmanship in Thiers (Wikipedia reports: "The town's heyday began with the arrival of cutlery. Legend has it that Auvergnatian crusaders brought this art from the Orient to Thiers. The first cutlers are documented to have settled in Thiers in the 14th century; they used the steep gradient of the Durolle River to power their blacksmith's hammers. This trade quickly brought prestige and wealth to the town."), a town twinning with Solingen (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) would be a good fit from a thematic perspective. This town in the Bergisches Land also has a long tradition of craftsmanship in this area. This is presented in two museums. If you are interested, see:
=>> komoot.com/de-de/highlight/267474 (Industrial Museum "Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs" of the Rhineland Regional Association)
=>> komoot.com/de-de/highlight/366316 (German Blade Museum)