Colmar — La Petite Venise (Little Venice)

The capital of Alsace wines, Colmar enchants with its old town of colourful half-timbered houses and its “Petite Venise” (Little Venice) quarter, where the canals of the Lauch wind between the old market gardeners' houses.

Getting there

By train: Colmar station (TGV from Paris in about 2 hr 40), around ten minutes' walk from the centre. By car: Colmar is an ideal starting point on the Alsace Wine Route.

History

A former free city of the Holy Roman Empire, Colmar retains a rich medieval and Renaissance heritage, such as the Maison Pfister (1537). It is the birthplace of the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, creator of the Statue of Liberty.

Culture & stories

The Musée Unterlinden houses Grünewald's famous Isenheim Altarpiece. At the end of the year, Colmar's Christmas Market ranks among the most renowned in Alsace.

Location