Colmar is a picturesque town which is located in the Alsace region of France, close to the German border. Its colorful old merchant quarters combined with flower lined canals makes it a perfect fairy tale setting for Belle's hometown in Disney's classic "Beauty and the Beast".
Getting there:
It is easy to get here by train as it is also close to Germany and Switzerland.
I took a 3-hour train ride from Luxembourg and arrived in Colmar in the evening to spend a night in Colmar. There are also direct trains from Paris which is about 2.5 to 3 hours.
The main train station is Gare de Colmar.
If you arrive by plane, the closet international airport is Euroairport Basel (Basel is located just a 45-minute train away from Colmar) or Strasbourg Airport (Strasbourg is located about 35-minutes train away from Colmar). Otherwise, Colmar Airport is just a small regional airport.
Accommodation:
I stayed at The Originals Colmar Gare Hotel which is located in between the old town and the train station. It is a two star hotel.
From the train station, Gare de Colmar is a 15-minutes walk to the hotel. It is another 10-minutes walk to reach the old town of Colmar.
The room has one double bed and a single bed which was perfect for me. It cost me about EUR 42 per night.
What to see/do in Colmar:
Colmar doesn't really have a list of must-see museums or attractions.
The best thing to do in town is probably just wandering in the old town without a set itinerary. It is best to do so in the morning since it gets busier with tourists in the afternoon.
There are plenty of lovely shops and restaurants in the old town, waiting for visitors to discover.
There are two churches in town: St. Martin Church and Dominican Church.
St. Martin Church is the most imposing Gothic church in Middle Alsace. It was erected from 1235 on the site of a previous building.
Interior of St. Martin Church.
Pay a visit to Dominican Church if you have time as it has a famous Schongauer painting inside.
There are also a few notable buildings in the old town such as Pfister House with a unique facade, as seen in picture above. This residence was built in 1537 by Ludwig Scherer, a wealthy hatter from Besancon. Its current name comes from the merchant, Francois-Xavier Pfister, who acquired it in 1841.
Maison des Tetes (House of Heads) was built in 1609 for the merchant, Anton Burger, who became the major of the town. It owes its name to the large number of masks and grimacing faces which decorate the facade.
Of course, you cannot miss strolling along the canal which is nicknamed as "Little Venice".
Some of the buildings lining the canal dated back to 14th century. Many photographs which you have seen of Colmar were probably taken here.
Like many canal cities, you can take a 30-minutes cruise along the canal if you so prefer.
Visit Colmar's Marche Couvert (meaning covered market) which is just next to Little Venice.
It has many stalls selling local produce, fruits, vegetables, cheese, pastries, meat and etc.
It also has a cafe which you can enjoy the view of Little Venice while sipping a cup of coffee.
Tip: the market is the best place to go to toilet if you need one. Otherwise you can try your luck in the restaurant which you're dining in.
What and where to eat:
Remember to try Tarte flambee, the Alsatian equivalent of pizza. It is made of a thin dough, topped with cheese, beacon, onion and rich sour cream. I tried it in one of the cafes in the covered market and I love it.
It is also recommended to try some Bretzels (pretzels in English) and Kugelhopf (a cake with raisins and powdered sugar on top) as Alsace is known for its pastries.
Dining in restaurants in Colmar old town is generally expensive.
If you don't mind to splurge a little, for dinner, I would recommend Les Bateliers which has outdoor seats overlooking the canal.
It serves traditional Alsatian food. The food portion was big and I had a hearty dinner here.
Also recommended by others is Restaurant La Soi. The only thing on its menu is tarte flambee (EUR 8 - EUR 10) and it's apparently the best tarte flambee in town. But make sure that you reserve ahead as the place is small.
Colmar is the capital of Alsacian wines. Hence it is a good idea to try some Alsacian wines (mostly white wines) while in Colmar.
Colmar is no less magical at night.
What to buy in Colmar:
Traiditional crafts like lace or miniature houses are popular souvenirs.
You can also consider buying some dried fruit as snacks. I stumbled upon this cute shop selling dried fruit. 100g only cost EUR 1.
Fun fact about Colmar: Auguste Bartholdi, Father of the Status of Liberty, was born in Colmar. A replica of the famous statue can be found in a traffic roundabout in Colmar at the north end of the town near Colmar Airport.
Overall, I'm in love with this beautiful and laid-back town. My next stop is Paris!
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