Colmar a perfect storybook French village in France that could have emerged from any of the fairytales that the brothers Grimm wrote.

Colmar could have come straight out of a medieval folk story, such is it ‘cute’ factor. Located in the Alsace region of France, it is everything that you want it to be.

Colmar survived the bombings of World War II, because the soldiers knew that it was too beautiful to touch, much like Bruges and Ghent in Belgium.

Visiting Colmar, France

 

 

Helpful Information

Colmar is easily visited on a day trip from Strasbourg which needs to be on your bucket list, or Basel by train, being only about 30-40 minutes from both cities. The station is a short walk from the town. It is even better to stay for longer. See the Colmar Tourist Information site for lots of details and also that they say that “Colmar…A village? 
No! It’s a capital. The capital of Alsatian wine. “

Top things to do in Colmar, France

 

Visit the Old Town & Place de la Cathédrale

 

 

The Old Town is a beautiful historic area and lies between the Rue des Têtes, the Rue des Clefs, and the Rue des Marchands near the Place de la Cathédrale. Admire the rebuilt Gothic church of Collégiale Saint-Martin. See the Ancien Corps de Garde which has been everything from a marketplace to a justice hall and them military housing. See one of the oldest buildings in Colmar, The Maison Adolph, which was built in 1350 for the Adolph family,

See the Eglise Saint-Matthieu, a 13th-century Protestant Church and Maison Pfister, one of the finest old houses in Colmar.

You will also see the Bartholdi Museum that has examples of the famous sculptor Auguste Bartholdi’s works who was born In Colmar.

 

Explore Quartier de la Krutenau or Little Venice

 

 

Expect and you will see colorful half-timbered houses, the canal flowing through with its restaurants, beautiful pedestrian bridges, and willow trees lining the river. This quarter is known as “Little Venice” because the houses are built right on the edge of the Lauch canal. This is where you can enjoy a gondolier type experience by taking a boat tour around the Little Venice district from underneath the Saint-Pierre Bridge. The boat tour is a Venice type experience and a beautiful view of the restored houses dating from 1350 to 1609.

Colmar has Little Venice where you can go on a romantic boat ride through the flower-laden narrow canals, where once the butchers, fishmongers and tanners plied their trades.

The stunning view of the district from the Saint-Pierre Bridge, to the far south of Little Venice, is one of the most photographed views of Colmar.. This medieval village of Colmar  is jaw droppingly stunning.

 

 

Visit the Old Town & Place de la Cathédrale

 

The Old Town is a beautiful historic area and lies between the Rue des Têtes, the Rue des Clefs, and the Rue des Marchands near the Place de la Cathédrale. Admire the rebuilt Gothic church of Collégiale Saint-Martin. See the Ancien Corps de Garde which has been everything from a marketplace to a justice hall and them military housing. See one of the oldest buildings in Colmar, The Maison Adolph, which was built in 1350 for the Adolph family,

See the Eglise Saint-Matthieu, a 13th-century Protestant Church and Maison Pfister, one of the finest old houses in Colmar.

You will also see the Bartholdi Museum that has examples of the famous sculptor Auguste Bartholdi’s works who was born In Colmar.

The Rue des Boulanger’s or Bakers’ street and the Rue des Serruriers or Locksmiths’ Street are examples of some of Colmar’s most picturesque buildings.

Maison des Têtes is called the House of Heads because the façade is covered with small busts and the faces of different people. It is now a luxury hotel and restaurant.

 

Visit Unterlinden Museum or Musée Unterlinden

Musée Unterlinden is a must see museum dating back to the 13th century and located in a former Dominican convent. The first floor is all about Alsace and the arts and crafts of the region.

The major draw card of the Musee Unterlinden is the Isenheim Chapel, featuring Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altar.

You will also see works by Picasso, Léger, Rouault, and Mathieu.

Address: 1 Rue d’Unterlinden, Colmar

 

Koïfhus, Ancienne Douane or Old Custom House

This 15th-century building was the most important building in Colmar. The ground floor was used as a warehouse for goods and where taxes were collected on imports and exports. It was also where many political decisions were made.

 

Eglise des Dominicains

 

 

This church gives an excellent insight into the lives of the Dominican preachers and also has a a masterpiece painted by Martin Schongauer in 1473 – the Virgin of the Rose Garden. Now it houses the antique manuscripts and is the Municipal Library of Colmar.

 

The Tanners Quarter & Quai de la Poissonnerie

 

Too cute and was where the tanners used to work and to dry out the leather. You can see the Market Hall and the 18th-century Law Courts. The Hôtel des Chevaliers de St-Jean is built in the style of a Venetian palace and is a stunning place to see. The Quai de la Poissonnerie was the old fishmonger’s district where fishermen once lived centuries ago.

 

Not only is Colmar a perfect storybook French village to look at, but it also happens to be the capital of Alsatian wine, which is in a class of its own. It is indeed on the Alsatian Wine Route and Colmar does consider itself to be the “capital of Alsatian wine” The many villages throughout Alsace are definitely worth exploring

 

Talk to Local People

 

If you are lucky, as we were, you can get some gingerbread straight from the oven, and not served by a witch. The bread lasts for 6 months and takes over 12 hours to bake.

 

 

Colmar a perfect storybook French village in France that could have emerged from any of the fairytales that the brothers Grimm wrote.