BELIEVE IT OR not, it has been a quarter of a century since Dublin was twinned with San José, a milestone that was marked in the city yesterday with a visit from members of San José City Council.

San José is know for being the ‘capital’ of Silicon Valley – but what else marks the city out? And does it have much in common with Dublin?

TheJournal.ie finds out seven facts about Dublin’s twin… and discovers that with better weather, quirky features and six dog parks, it may well be the perfect place for a holiday…

• San José is the third-largest city in California and was founded on 29 November 1777 – making it the oldest non-Native American settlement in California.
• It’s the home of modern technology, being the base for Silicon Valley, home to some of the world’s largest tech companies. The phrase ‘silicon valley’ dates back to 1971. Why silicon? Well, it is used in the commercial manufacture of semiconductors.
• Its name before Silicon Valley? The Valley of Heart’s Delight.
• The beauty of the city was captured in the classic Burt Bacharach hit, Do You Know the Way to San José, as sung by Dionne Warwick.  It won the singer a Grammy award for best pop vocal performance.
• San José is home to the Winchester Mystery House, a Victorian home which features bizarre staircases; a séance room; secret passages and lots of quirky features. Its owner, Sarah Winchester, apparently had the weird features built in order to confuse ghosts that she thought were following her…
• San José is the place to go if you want to find a mate – Men’s Health magazine said in 2007 that it is the best place to go if you need a man. Apparently they’re not all tech geeks – but it’s the place to go if you’d like to be chatted up in C++.
• If you’re a dog lover, you’ll adore San José – it has six dog parks, so it’s the perfect city for those who love their canine companions.