Colmar sits in the southern Alsace plain 70km south of Strasbourg, at the northern end of the Alsatian wine route. The historic centre has roughly 900 buildings under heritage protection, including a canal-threaded quarter (Petite Venise) that France has been photographing for decades and the rest of the world has recently discovered. The honest caveat is this: between June and September, and during the Christmas market season from late November to early January, Colmar is genuinely busy. The town is 69,000 people in total but the old centre is walkable in an afternoon, which means visitor concentration is high. Outside those windows, it is one of the most coherent medieval townscapes in western Europe and worth two full days.
What Colmar Actually Looks Like
The architecture is Alsatian — half-timbered facades in ochre, salmon, and pale green, with steeply pitched roofs, carved wooden galleries (colombages), and street-level arcades that run unbroken for entire blocks. The style is a hybrid of French and German vernacular, which makes sense given that Alsace changed national ownership four times between 1648 and 1945. The buildings look like they belong in a fairy tale because they were built this way deliberately: the guild houses and merchant residences of the 14th–18th centuries used colour and ornament as commercial display.
Petite Venise is the canal district in the southern part of the old town — the Lauch river runs through it in a loop, and the houses back directly onto the water from the quays. Boat tours (30 minutes, €8, various operators) run from April to October. Walking the quays is free. The most photographed section is around the Rue des Tanneurs and Quai de la Poissonnerie.
The Koïfhus (1480), the old customs house in the centre of the main pedestrian zone, is the largest and best-preserved 15th-century trading hall in Alsace — an open arcade on the ground floor with a timbered upper storey. The market square in front of it hosts the Christmas market from late November.
The Unterlinden Museum
The Musée Unterlinden is the most important single reason to visit Colmar that is not architecture. The collection is housed in a 13th-century Dominican convent and its modern extension and covers Alsatian art from the Rhine Valley Romanesque through the German Renaissance. The central exhibit is the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald (1512–1516), one of the most psychologically intense painted altarpieces in northern European art: the Crucifixion panel shows Christ with a body ravaged by disease (the altarpiece was made for a hospital treating patients with ergotism), a level of physical realism unusual for its period. Entry €15, allow 2 hours.
Grünewald's altarpiece alone justifies the train fare to Colmar.
Alsatian Food and Wine
Colmar's food is a direct expression of the Franco-German border culture: simultaneously French in technique and German in scale.
Tarte flambée (Flammkuchen) — thin pastry topped with fromage blanc, crème fraîche, lardons, and onions, baked in a wood oven — is the standard starting point. The best versions are at traditional winstubs (wine taverns), not tourist restaurants.
Choucroute garnie — fermented cabbage with pork knuckle, sausages, and boiled potatoes — is the winter dish. Substantial.
Baeckeoffe — a slow-braised casserole of lamb, beef, pork, and vegetables sealed in pastry and cooked overnight — needs to be ordered a day in advance at most restaurants; some do not offer it at all without notice.
The Alsatian wine route begins at the southern edge of Colmar and runs 170km north to Strasbourg through 67 villages. From Colmar, the villages of Eguisheim (3km south, ranked among France's most beautiful), Riquewihr (15km north), and Ribeauvillé (20km north) are all within a 25-minute drive. Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are the dominant whites; the Pinot Noir rosés (Schillerwein) are a local speciality not widely exported.
Getting to Colmar
From Paris Gare de Lyon: TGV to Colmar direct, 2h20–2h40, €60–120 depending on booking lead. Also possible via TGV to Strasbourg (1h50) then regional train to Colmar (30 minutes). From Strasbourg: regional train, 30 minutes, €10. Very frequent. From Basel (Switzerland): train, 45 minutes, €15. Basel has Euroairport (BSL), which serves several low-cost European routes. From Frankfurt: TGV via Strasbourg or direct TER, approximately 2h30, €30–60.
When to Visit Colmar
May–June: the best overall window. Temperatures 18–24°C, the timbered facades in full morning light, the wine route villages accessible without summer heat. Visitor numbers are high but manageable.
September–October: harvest season, vendanges (grape harvests) active in the villages, the wine route is at maximum activity. Colmar's festivals thin out and the light goes amber by October. Excellent for wine-focused trips.
Christmas market season (late November–early January): internationally famous and very crowded. If that specific experience is the goal, book accommodation 3–4 months ahead. Weekdays are substantially quieter than weekends.
July–August: hot (28–32°C), maximum crowds, the Petite Venise boat tours have queues. Still entirely fine as a visit — Colmar is not overwhelmed the way Venice or Dubrovnik is — but the windows before 9am and after 7pm are much more comfortable.
January–March: quiet, some restaurants close, the wine route villages are empty but atmospheric. The timbered streets with thin winter light on them look completely different from summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Colmar?
One full day covers the old town, Petite Venise, and the Unterlinden Museum. Two days allows for a half-day wine route excursion to Eguisheim and Riquewihr. Three days is comfortable if you want to cover both Strasbourg (30 minutes by train) and the southern wine villages.
Is Colmar worth the hype?
Yes, with a timing caveat. The architecture is genuine and the Unterlinden Museum is underrated internationally. Visit outside peak summer and Christmas market season and it is one of the most satisfying small cities in France.
How far is Colmar from Strasbourg?
30 minutes by train, frequent service. Most visitors to Alsace visit both on the same trip, typically basing themselves in one and making a day trip to the other.
What is the best village on the Alsatian wine route near Colmar?
Eguisheim (3km south, 5 minutes by car) is the most complete medieval circular village in Alsace — the entire old town follows the original 13th-century oval plan. Less visited than Riquewihr and better for it.
Do you need a car to enjoy Colmar?
No, if you are only visiting the town itself. A car is useful for the wine route villages. Alternatively, many operators run wine route bus tours from Colmar's tourist office.
