Colmar is a town located in the Alsace region of France, very near the German border.
The trip to Colmar was a surprise from my boyfriend, so I didn’t know where I was going until I was there. And I can assure you, if you decide to go to Colmar it won’t disappoint! With its old style houses, cobblestone streets and canals, you will fall in love with it at once. It’s like entering a fairytale!
With no further do I present to you how I spent 3 days in Colmar and it’s surroundings. You can plan your trip as I did or just take the things you like, I’ll leave it up to you!
Colmar is very little and it really doesn’t take you long to cover it. Still I just couldn’t help jumping up and down in excitement the whole time because of how beautiful I found it!
Not knowing exactly where we were going, we started to walk and found ourselves in Little Venice. Called this because of the canals flowing through it, this part of town is the most beautiful one. You won’t find a most romantic spot than this. The railings of the water streets are lined with flowers, Cafe’s and numerous restaurants to sit at and take the beauty in. You can even take a boat ride to see Colmar from different point of view.
Just in the centre of the town is the Collégiale St-Martin. This Church in Colmar is beautiful on the inside and outside. Its predomiant style is Gothic, but there were also found remainders within the St. Martin Church, of a first church in Carolingian and a second church in Romanesque style. The bell tower was added in 1572, in a Renaissance style after a fire. It’s cream-colored walls catch the light perfectly at sunset! It was one of my favourite things to see in Colmar.
I tend to visit at least one museum where I´m staying and so I decided to visit the Museum Unterlinden. This museum was set in a 13th century Dominican sisters’ Convent and a former bath house in 1906, that are linked underground by a passage, functioning also as a gallery. The museum presents a collection of various paintings and sculptures, history and religious artworks. I was most interested in the paintings and sculptures, than the religious part, but I still toured the whole museum.
Although we hadn’t enough time for it another museum worth visiting is the Museum Bartholdi. I’m certain you know the Statue of Liberty in New York, well, it was a gift from the French to the USA and built by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Colmar houses a museum just for him and his works! There isn´t only a museum but they also have a Statue of Liberty of their own. You can happen to come across the markings on the floor directing you to where the statue stands, as did we on our trip. It’s not as big as the one in New York but it’s the original one!
Colmar has the advantage to be located next to other beautiful locations such as Strasbourg. Only half an hour from Colmar by train, Strasbourg could be referred as the big version of Colmar. It presents the same arrangement but in a larger scale.
Stop one was of course the Notre Dame of Strasbourg. As we stepped through the buildings, the Cathedral slowly emerged above the houses. It was amazing seeing it revealed like that before our eyes, until we were able to appreciate it whole.
The Cathedral of Our Lady, commonly known as the Notre Dame of Strasbourg is breathtaking. True to its name, it presents an amazing structure. I couldn’t peel my eyes of the many arches and intricate stone cravings all over the building. From 1647 to 1874 it was the tallest building worldwide. Nowadays it’s the 6th tallest Cathedral in the world. This Gothic building is definitely worth paying a visit to!
We continued our way through a bridge and alongside the river until we found ourselves before the Ponts Couverts. These bridges leading to Little France were once covered, as the name says. Now they lay uncovered and open for everyone to admire, with their tall towers connecting them.
From the Ponts Couverts you can see a large building going from one shore to the other. The Barrage Bauvan was built as a defense mechanism. Interesting about this building is the terrace on top. Yes, you can climb on the roof and get one of the best views of the city from there! We loved it here!
Petit France is the most beautiful part of Strasbourg, with the houses lined with flowers, the restaurants with beautiful views and souvenir shops. You can stroll through the streets and let yourself be swallowed by the fairytale-like surroundings. I certainly did!
This next things I didn’t visit because of the little time we had, but now I wish I had. There’s the Palais Rohan, a beautiful Baroque building that houses the three museums: Musée Beaux-Arts, Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Museé Archéologique. To get a glimpse at how the Palais may have been decorated back in the 1730’s you should head to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Lastly, and also failed to see, was the Place Kleber, a square where you can sit, relax and enjoy the view of the buildings surrounding you.
Another beautiful day trip from Colmar is Rickewhir, the town that inspired the home town of Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. That’s the reason my boyfriend took me on this trip. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite princess movie (especially the one with Emma Watson) and walking through Riquewhir I felt transported to that wonderful story!
It’s such a small town with not really much to do, so I would really recommend you to get there with a bike. We rented our bikes beside the train station of Colmar: 13€ for 24h each, was the price of a hybrid bike.
The road from Colmar to Riquewhir is beautiful! The last hill is a little bit exhausting but totally worth it! (If you get to tired with a bike you should try an e-bike). Spend some hours in the little town, eat something and look around the little shops with amazing handcrafts. Stroll through the cobble stoned streets and then make your way back to Colmar. The view you will get from the vineyards and the next town below Riquewhir are priceless! It goes downhill, so the only thing you have to do is pay attention that you don’t ride right into the vineyards while you are captivated by the view!
Concluding, a trip to the Alsace region of France was the best gift my boyfriend could have given me. We spent endless hours marveling at the well kept and beautiful surroundings. It’s one of those places that swallows you and allows you to dream!
Other things to try: While in the Alsace region you have to eat Tarte Flambé, a speciality. You also have to eat ice cream in Little Venice while you stroll beside the canals. One of my favourite hobbies while there!
