A day trip to Colmar, France
This enchanting laid back town with plenty of history deserves to be visited and experienced at leisure.
Once you have visited Colmar, you want to keep coming back to explore and dig a little deeper into this fairytale town.
The sights, the smells, the delicious aromas of fresh bread, half-timbered houses, tiled roofs, cobbled lanes, centuries’ old buildings, places steeped in history, food to die for, the small alleys and the numerous little squares, there is so much to discover in the charming, historical old town of Colmar, France!
Colmar is also the birthplace of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, best known for designing the Statue of Liberty. It is not surprising that you can see several sculptures and statues created by him across the town.
The best way to soak up all that Colmar has to offer and explore this charming city is by foot.
With a day at my disposal on a recent visit to Switzerland, I took a trip to Colmar from Basel. It’s an easy 45 min train ride from here.
As you step outside the railway station, you see this welcoming sight and sign!
From here it’s a 15-minute walk to the Old Town. I used online maps to guide me there.
The walk is partly through the beautiful Parc du Champ de Mars.
The biggest park at the city center, the Champ de Mars has some remarkable buildings and features like -
- 1900 Carousel which is unlike anything else. It is the largest merry-go-round of wooden horses in Alsace and said to be the largest of its kind in Europe.
- Fontaine Braut — unveiled in 1864, the fountain was built as a tribute to Admiral Armand-Joseph Bruat (1796–1855), an admiral in chief of the French Navy during the Crimean war and was born in Colmar. It is the work of Auguste Bartholdi and was the first in Colmar to have a system to stream water.
- Statue dedicated to General Jean Rapp (1771–1821), a prominent French Army officer during the French Revolutionary Wars, was Bartholdi’s first public monument. He was only 20 when he made it in 1854. Originally, it was exhibited on the Champs Elysées in Paris and presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1855. In 1856 the statue was transferred to Colmar.
At the site of the park there used to be a public promenade around 1745 which was used for military exercises of the National Guard or for public ceremonies. In 1793 it was renamed “Champ de Mars” and was further developed as a park in the 1800’s.
Manneken-Pis de Colmar
I discovered this by chance and was one of the first things I saw. Yes, this is a replica of the Brussel’s iconic ‘Manneken Pis’ statuette. The Alsatian Manneken-Pis is located at rue des Augustins, a small street off Grand Rue in the historic center of Colmar, yet is very discreet, with no fanfare and you could easily miss this.
The city of Brussels gave it to Colmar to celebrate the anniversary of the Liberation of Colmar and has been in Colmar since 1923. The difference between the two statues is that the Alsatian one cannot “pee” (it is not connected to water as it is in Brussels); nevertheless, it remains a beautiful symbol of Franco-Belgian friendship.
After seeing the Manneken Pis clothed, I found out an interesting fact that I was not aware of — The Manneken Pis has over 1000 costumes and this collection keeps growing! Manneken-Pis spends about half of the year in one of his 1,000 outfits. This tradition of dressing is truly unique in the world.
Once you reach the center of the old town, it feels like you’ve been transported to a completely different world.
The Kern House
This was the first glimpse I caught stepping into the old town.
The Kern House, built in 1597, is a Renaissance-style Rhineland building and is quite imposing.
Old Customs House (Koïfhus)
Across the Kern house is the Old customs house (Koïfhus). Located at the intersection of Colmar’s two major roads back in the medieval days, the Old Customs House (Koïfhus) is also referred to as the “Ancienne Douane”.
The former customs house was built in 1480 and had mainly two uses: the ground floor was a warehouse used for storage, and the floor above served as a tax office for import/export and a meeting area for the magistrate and the emperors of Alsace, which later became the Colmar Chamber of Commerce. Several buildings were added onto the existing one throughout the years, creating a mix of architectural styles. The roof is striking with colorful varnished tiles and the two-headed eagle of the Empire surmounts the two main entrances. The Old Customs House was made a historic monument of France in 1974.
View from the old customs house
The magnificent half-timbered houses “Au Fer Rouge”, “Chez Hansi” and “Au Vieux Pignon” are the highlights here.
From here I wandered towards the famed Little Venice.
This is the name given to the course of river Lauch in Colmar. In the Middle Ages, the river Lauch supplied water to the town for drinking and business. The surrounding area was home to the butchers, tanners, and fish mongers, and the water helped the businesses to move goods around.
The Little Venice (La Petite Venise)
With the colorful buildings and the boats that glide by on the river Lauch, this is probably the most photographed spot in Colmar and rightly so. This stretch along the canal has the most picturesque views in all of Colmar!
On the way to La Petite Venise are the stunning neighborhoods of rue des Tanneurs where tanners used to work and live and the Quai de la Poissonnerie, (Fishing Quay), where fishermen sold fresh fish that had been caught in Colmar’s waters.
Apparently, the buildings in this vicinity were color coded — each color representing a different profession!
A boat ride in the canal
While in the vicinity of Little Venice, taking a ride on one of the flat-bottomed boats (barques) is an exceptional way to see the old town and understand a little bit of history behind the various aspects that make this town unique.
The boatman stands at the back of the boat steering it. During this 25 min ride which is quite peaceful, you admire the beautiful buildings, houses, and architecture, listen to the history commentary from the boatman, and pass through some very low bridges along the way which requires you to literally duck to pass through! The ride gives you a very different perspective of Colmar.
I bought the tickets (7 € /person) from the pub next to where the boats were anchored. Be sure to sit in the front for the best views!
Covered Market Hall (Marche Couvert)
Built in 1865, the covered market has a very strategic location directly by the Lauch River. In the past, local farmers would bring their produce to the market using the Barques. I took a quick look inside and it is as impressive as its exterior. Restored and renovated in 2010, this is the place to find regional specialties and local products like fruits, vegetables, cheese, fish, meat, etc. There is even a small restaurant (La Terrasse du Marche) that overlooks the canal. The market hall still has steps going down to the water which was used to receive items being transported in olden times.
This architectural creation is by Louis-Michel Blotz who also designed the municipal theatre of Colmar.
Wandering through the streets, I took a stop at the Choco Story chocolate museum.
Choco Story Museum
If you are a chocolate lover, then this is the place to be!
This interactive museum was fun and informative at the same time. The whole tour takes about 90 mins and includes several stations with games to play, chocolate tastings (which I obviously tasted a ton of!) and at the end you can also take a picture of yourself with several props and different backgrounds and send it to yourself via email.
You can book you tickets online or at the museum. I opted for the Audio guided tour for 12,50€. Recommend adding the optional, hot chocolate for 3€ when you buy the ticket. The flavors are outstanding. I tried the Spanish hot chocolate and loved it!
La Maison Des Tetes
This historic monument is located at the heart of Colmar and is probably the most famous house located at number 19, rue des Têtes.
106 small human masks and grimacing faces are carved on the facade of the house dating from 1609. Classified as a historical monument, this house of Renaissance style is one of the important and prominent symbols of Colmar. The statue of the Alsace barrel-maker, made by Auguste Bartholdi in 1902, takes position at the top of the gable after the building was used as the Colmar Bourse aux Vins ( Wine Exchange).
La Maison des Têtes is now luxurious Michelin-starred restaurant and stylish hotel.
Tourist mini train (Petit train Touristique)
I first saw the green miniature train chugging along when I entered the old town. This got onto my Colmar to-do list immediately!
This train ride starts and ends just outside the Unterlinden Museum. It passes through most of the main sights in the old town with accompanying commentary in several languages. It takes about 35mins to complete one circuit.
I bought the tickets on the spot but can also be booked in advance on their website.
Unterlinden Museum (Musee Unterlinden)
After the train ride, I hopped over to the Unterlinden Museum. This is a must-see while in Colmar. The museum is housed in a 13th-century Dominican religious sisters’ convent and 1906 former public bath building.
The museum had the famous Issenheim altarpiece on display along with a large collection of European art, spanning the period between the Middle Ages and the 20th century. It is awe-inspiring, to say the least. I booked the entry tickets at the museum. There is an option for the audio guide. You need to leave all your stuff in the locker which the museum offers for free. Remember to take your jacket with you as the chapel gets quite cold.
Musee Bartholdi
The Bartholdi Museum is dedicated entirely to presenting the artist work and is in the house where Auguste Bartholdi was born.
Statue of Liberty (Yes! You are reading it right!)
This is one of Colmar’s most unique attractions — a Statue of Liberty. This 39-foot-tall statue honors its sculptor Bartholdi and was inaugurated in 2004 on the centennial of his death.
It is about 2 miles away from the city center.
The Statue of Liberty is in the middle of a roundabout at the north end of town. Once you reach here, you really cannot get too close to the statue because of its location. There are few parking spots across the street which belongs to one of the shopping centers where you can park or stand and take pictures.
With not much time on my side, I took a taxi from the Colmar train station to this roundabout, took some pictures of this magnificent statue, and took the same taxi back. It takes about 15 mins one way and around 20 Euros for the complete trip.
Recommendations:
- Stay here at least for a night or two to truly explore the place. There is a ton of history and has a peaceful vibe.
- Start your journey with the train ride if exploring the town on your own.
- Start early
- The place is best explored on foot.
- Don’t miss taking the boat ride, it’s an experience.
- Be sure to eat the local delicacies.
Throughout the town, there are metal arrows with the Statue of Liberty on the pavements. I understand this indicates a popular tourist route and covers the main attractions in Colmar. This can be difficult to follow but fun to find in various places!
Strolling through the streets of this quaint town brings out a sense of childhood wonder. It is almost like a big Open-air Museum.
The buildings are decorated as per the season or occasion, so every time you visit, you would be greeted with a different sight!
It was such a delight to walk around this awe-inspiring little town and also learned so many facts but so much still remains to be explored. Cannot wait to go back another time and find out more!
