Anne-Charlotte PasseraWhen you travel to Colmar in the North-East of France, in the region of Alsace, you’ll wonder why it hasn’t been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites already.
Colmar is considered to be the capital city of Alsacian wines due in part to its location at the epicenter of the vineyards of Alsace. It’s no wonder that so many tourists decide to take a break from tasting Riesling and Gewurztraminer on their wine tour throughout Alsace in the medieval and colorful town of Colmar.
Believe it or not, but at the city’s entrance, on one of its roundabouts (so common in France), lies a miniature vineyard! How weird right? Yeah, I thought so too.
From cobbled streets to half-timbered houses built between the 14th and 18th century, the picturesque town of Colmar is worth to travel to. This charming town is perfect if you are looking a small romantic getaway but can also be enjoyed by the entire family.
How to travel to Colmar
The town of Colmar is easy to travel to by train.
From Strasbourg, it’s about a 20-minute train ride which makes it easy to visit as part of a day or half-day trip. Otherwise, it’s roughly a 40-minute train ride from the town of Mulhouse.
You can also travel to Colmar by car if you are exploring the region of Alsace. It’s located about one hour away from the Swiss town of Basel, in case you are in the mood for some chocolates.
Getting around the town of Colmar
When you arrive by train, to get to the historical part of town, you’ll have to walk about 15 minutes. Don’t worry, there are signs to indicate which direction you need to go to get there.
By car
Driving within the historical par of Colmar is not recommended because, to be honest, it’s a nuisance for pedestrians and spoils your experience when you are walking around. Also, it’s hard to find parking.
Instead, you can park underground at the Parc du Champs de Mars for 7 euros (4 hours). Also, the park is a beautiful place to finish your visit of Colmar, especially if you are traveling with kids.
Little train
Leave your car close to Unterlinden, near Kléber street, and hop on the tourist train. This is a great option for visiting when you travel to Colmar but don’t have a lot of time.
Also, if you are traveling with elderly people or kids in strollers, this will make your visit run more smoothly and way more easier.
The tourist train does a 7km loop for 35 minutes and is a guided tour through the historical part of Colmar. It cost 7 euros for adults and 3.5 euros for children under the age of 12.
Horses
No, you can’t ride horses in Colmar. However, you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage for 6 euros (adults) and 3 euros (kids). It’s FREE for children under the age of 10.
You can hop on it near the Unterlinden museum.
Walking
As I previously mentioned, the cobbled streets make it hard to walk around with strollers or if you are in a wheelchair. Instead, you might want to consider bringing a baby wrap if you are traveling with small kids.
The cobbled streets are pretty even to walk on though, so it doesn’t feel too weird when you walk on them.
I did not see many bicycles around Colmar compared to Strasbourg. This is probably due to the fact that there are so many tourists and cars around, which makes it hard to navigate.
What to see and do when you travel to Colmar
When you travel to Colmar, you can spend a few hours there or a full day, depending on what you’d like to see and do.
We were only there for an afternoon with three kids age 10 to 13. Visiting museums was not to their interests. To be honest, it wasn’t mine either. I was there more to walk around the colorful town than anything else.
If you’d like to spend the day there and visit museums, buy the day pass at the tourism office. It cost 32 euros for an adult and 28 euros for kids (9-17).
In that price is included the following:
- Guided visit (1h30);
- Access to museums: Unterlinden, Hansi, and Bartholdi;
- Wine tasting;
- A boat ride or little train ride.
Unterlinden
This 13th century ancient convent with a sumptuous cloister is located 15 minutes away on foot from the historical center. It has been converted into a museum representing through their various collections, 7 000 years of history.
Museum Bartholdi
Bartholdi was born in Colmar in1834. He was a sculptor. The museum in his name is located inside the home he was born in.
Originally built in the 15th century, it was converted into a private mansion in the 18th century.
In 1922, it was turned into a museum displaying the most important art collection of Bartholdi.
You might recognize his name as his most famous for being the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, inaugurated in New York City in 1886. A smaller version of it can be seen on an islet on the Seine river in Paris and also in Colmar! You’ll need a car for that though.
It’s located on a round about (Rond-Point Liberté) at the entrance of Colmar (on route de Strasbourg at the intersection of D83 and D20 on the North isde of Colmar). This version was sculpted to commemorate the 100th anniversary death of the sculptor and is 12m high.
La Petite Venise
This area of Colmar is located in the historical part of Colmar. La Petite Venise (Little Venice) got its name in part due to the canals of the Lauch and the picturesque homes built along its banks.
La Petite Venise starts at the covered market, follows the Quai de la Poissonerie where the fishermen would have their stalls back in the day and ends at the bridge of St-Pierre Boulevard.
In the old days, merchants would use the canals and traditional boats to bring their merchandise to the center of town, including the covered market.
Covered market
Built in 1865 and closed on Mondays, the market hosts around 20 merchants selling fresh products of quality, including local delicacies. Not long ag, it was being used as a parking garage!
Old City center
The Old City center of Colmar is full of charm with an abundance of antique half-timbered Alsatian homes with flourished balconies and picturesque turrets.
Everywhere you’ll walk in the historical part of Colmar you’ll see these century old houses. One of the oldest homes, Maison Adolph, dates back to 1350!
Some of these houses are half-timbered, some are of Renaissance style and some even have their facades painted decoratively. You can also see this style in Luzerne (Switzerland) and in Strasbourg (France).
Here is a list of some of the most famous ones and don’t forget to look up!
Maison Pfister
Built in 1537 in wood and yellow sandstone, this house is an architectural jewel which distinguishes itself with a 2-storey corner oriel and a turret. It’s now home to a wine and spirit store.
Maison des Arcades
It was built in 1606 in a German style with 3-storeys, framed at each end by a scrolled gable and a corner oriel.
Maison des Têtes
The house was built in Renaissance style in 1609 by the same architect as the Maison des Arcades. It stands out with its outstanding oriel which elevates itself over 3-storeys and the 106 sculpted grumpy faces that ornate the façade. Why are they grumpy? I have no idea.
If you look all the way up top, you’ll notice a statue of a barrel maker sculpted by Bartholdi.
This old prestigious merchant’s house has now been converted to a 5-star luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant Girardin.
Quartier des Tanneurs
The tannery area of Colmar was restaured between 1968-1974. The houses with pans of wood were built between the 17th and 18th century. The last floor of these houses were used by the tanners to dry their pelts.
In the vicinity of this area there is a notable fountain.
Built in 1892, the Foutain Schwendi has a bronze statue sculpted by whom other? Bartholdi! Unfortunately, it was destroyed in 1940 but rebuilt after WWII.
Canal du Lauch
Just like in Venice, but not as charming, you can take a boat ride on the canal. It’s FREE for children under the age of 10 and 7 euros for the rest. The guided boat ride is about 25 minutes long and you can even bring your dog along. Ours would just tip the boat over, but it’s always good to know right?
It’s best to book ahead so that you don’t have to wait for s spot to free up. Maybe go there when you first arrive in Colmar, pick your time slot and then go about your day.
There are two places you can hop on one from and book your spot.
Either go to Départ des Barques or Caveau St-Pierre, both are restaurants. At Caveau St-Pierre, it’s less crowded as it is at the extremity of La Petite Venise.
Little tip: For 70 euros, you can rent out the boat for your personal usage and embark on a romantic escapade on the canal. You can even bring your little picnic along. Don’t forget your wine!
Collégiale St-Martin (Cathedral)
We did not visit the inside due to lack of time and three kids who just wanted to eat their way through Colmar.
The cathedral is built in sandstone from the Vosges mountains and changes color since the sandstone came from different quaries.
What is notable however about this gothic church is its roof.
The Alsatian tile is made of terracotta and is flat with rounded inner ends. This type of tile is often referred to as beaver tail. Throughout Alsace, you’ll notice that some of these tiles are painted, therefore creating a pattern and thus giving a certain je ne sais quoi to the roof.
Where can you eat in Colmar?
That is such a great question! With all the exploring and walking around, you are bound to get hungry.
Another reason to travel to Colmar is for its wine and the food. In fact, Colmar has 2 Michelin star restaurants: Girardin and JY’s. That’s a lot for such a ‘small’ city.
Don’t worry if you can’t afford them as there are plenty of other options to pick from.
Caveau Saint-Pierre
We opted for Caveau Saint-Pierre which has a small terrace along Canal Lauch. It was full when we got there, so we ate inside which looks like the interior of a tavern decorated with Alsatian-style furniture.
We enjoyed the food and the service was great.
When in Alsace, you have to try the ever so popular Flammekeusche (Tarte flambée). It looks like a pizza, but the crust is much more thinner. The main ingredients are cream, onions, and bacon, and then you can add other toppings.
The Tarte Flambée are usually big. Therefore, if you have kids, you could have them share one, leaving room for desert.
Another specialty of Alsace is the Baeckeoffe. It’s served in an Alsatian pot where three different kinds of meat (pork, lamb and beef) are mixed in with carrots, potatoes, onions and 24h!
The Caveau St-Pierre is ideally located next to where you can embark on a boat ride on the canal. So grab your tickets, select your time, have lunch and relax, and then hop on the boat.
Other places for your bellies
Of course, there are plenty of other options to pick from when it comes to eating in Colmar.
Jadis et Gourmande. It has put a twist on the traditional Alsatian food from what I read, and the décor is similar to one you could find in the Vosges mountains.
Bier Und Wistub and Winstub La Kruteneau. Part of the same family, the first one is located more in the historical center of Colmar. It is cute from the exterior with a nice outdoor terrace but too many passersby, in my opinion. The other one is located in La Petite Venise.
Covered Market. It has an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a meal or a drink. The terraced is run by La terrasse du Marché, so you can’t go there as you wish.
Dessert
Grab dessert on the go at Les Délices on rue Turenne. We went there for some delicious ice cream. I got two toppings so big that as soon as I stepped outside, one fell. NO!
It’s not far from Caveau Saint-Pierre if you take the back-end street from it. It also leads to a very Instagrammable bridge of Colmar, in the heart of La Petite Venise.
There are plenty of places inside the historical part of Colmar that you can hit for some ice cream, chocolate, dried fruits and other delicacies.
What to bring back from Colmar
Oddly enough, there is a store called Piccoli Trattoria, whose specialty is truffles. If that’s your thing, then have a go at it.
Otherwise, it’s mostly about alcohol. You can buy craft beer brewed around Colmar with fun labels to drink back home or wine.
There are two places in Colmar where you can do some wine tasting, 500m from Collégiale St-Martin. They are both located on the same street (rue de l’angle) so that you can hit them both if you’d like: Caves Jund and Karcher.
Jund has an inner courtyard and cave you can visit. Their vineyards date back to 1630. You can also sleep there.
Karcher’s vineyards are older and date back to 1602.
Where to travel to next after Colmar?
If you arrived in Colmar by train, you can make your way down to Mulhouse and Basel in Switzerland. There isn’t that much to see in Mulhouse but I found it’s little town center to be charming and much less touristy than Colmar and Strasbourg. You can see some half-timbered houses there as well.
As for Basel, well you can just boast that you went to Switzerland while you were in France. Basel is super expensive, probably more so than L.A. for example. It is a very pretty city though but if you don’t have money to spare, don’t go there!
Otherwise, you can make your way up to Strasbourg. You could stop at Sélestat before heading to Strasbourg though.
Sélestat
From Sélestat, there is a shuttle that runs from the train station taking you to Haut Koenigsbourg, Monkey Mountain, and Volerie des Aigles (Eagles).
Haut Koenigsbourg. Due to the Covid-19, you have to book your tickets in advance online HERE.
This castle inspired the set designer of Lord of the Rings for the Citadel of Minas Tirith along with pieces of furniture.
Considered more like a mountain fortress than a castle, it was built during the 12th century. When you pass its gates, you will feel like you traveled back to Medieval times. When you travel to France, you will feel that way a lot! In fact, there are a couple of medieval towns just outside of Paris.
This ‘castle’ is a must-see when you travel to Alsace. It is best to get there really early or closer to the end of the day to beat the crowds
La Volerie des Aigles.
Experience the emotions of a spectacular show of the largest birds of prey in the world against the backdrop of Kintzheim Castle.
La Volerie des Aigles is open from the end of March to November 11th. The shows are always in the afternoon around 2 or 3 pm with the exception of the summer months (July and August) where the earliest show starts at 11 a.m. Check their website HERE for showtimes.
The Monkey Mountain.
This place has been around for 50 years. There you’ll walk around in close contact to over 200 free-roaming Barbary macaques. There are feeding talks throughout the day and an English quiz available at the entrance.
The Barbary macaques are an endangered species. The park actively contributes to their preservation by raising their visitor’s awareness and sponsoring actions to protect them.
During the Summer, the park is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you traveled to Colmar by car
When you have a car, sometimes it just makes your life easier.
By car, you can do everything mentioned above. To that, you can add hiking in the Vosges Mountains, visit some WWI trenches (30 minutes away from Colmar), discover how the Munster cheese is made and taste it in Haxaire or go on a wine tour.
There is something for everyone just outside Colmar, less than one hour away.
When you travel to Colmar, spending a day there is more than enough. There is basically no night life. So if you don’t mind the peace and quiet, why not stay on a vineyard instead outside of the city?
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