Photo: Wikimedia Commons Known as the capital of Alsace wines, Colmar was once a free city of the Holy Roman Empire and has kept a rich medieval and Renaissance heritage, such as the Maison Pfister, dated 1537. In the Little Venice quarter, the Lauch winds between the old market gardeners’ houses.
Colmar is the birthplace of the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, creator of the Statue of Liberty. The Unterlinden Museum holds Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, and at the end of the year the town hosts one of the best-known Christmas markets in Alsace.
💡 Good to know
Colmar station is about ten minutes’ walk from the centre, so the old town is easy to visit without a car.
Nearby
Nearby
🚢 Boat cruiseFlat-bottomed boats in Colmar’s Little Venice📍 Colmar · Haut-Rhin (68) · 0 km awayA guided trip of about 25 minutes in a flat-bottomed boat, gliding at water level between the half-timbered houses of Little Venice.Discover →![]()
ⓘ🎄 Christmas marketsColmar Christmas markets📍 Colmar · Haut-Rhin (68) · 0 km awaySix Christmas markets spread across the old town and Little Venice, from one square to the next.Discover →![]()
ⓘ🎒 Gravel & bikepackingAlsace Vineyard Cycle Route📍 Colmar · Haut-Rhin (68) · 0 km awayAround 131 km by bike from Marlenheim to Thann, along the foot of the Vosges from one wine village to the next.Discover →🖼️ MuseumsUnterlinden Museum📍 Colmar · Haut-Rhin (68) · 0 km awayColmar’s art museum, housed in a 13th-century convent and famous for the Isenheim Altarpiece.Discover →![]()
ⓘ🧺 Markets & local produceAlsace Wine Fair in Colmar📍 Colmar · Haut-Rhin (68) · 2 km awayEvery summer, Colmar brings together Alsace winemakers and big-name concerts at its exhibition park.Discover →🏘️ Villages & built heritageThe village of Eguisheim📍 Eguisheim · Haut-Rhin (68) · 5 km awayBuilt in concentric circles around its castle, Eguisheim was voted France’s favourite village in 2013.Discover →