Colmar is a town in the Alsace region of northeastern France near the borders of Germany and Switzerland. The wonderfully preserved medieval and Renaissance architecture along with the cobblestone streets make it feel like you’ve stepped into a real life fairytale – like something straight out of Beauty and the Beast. Colmar was the 2nd stop on our Western European backpacking trip in 2018. It’s a great addition to a trip even if it’s a quick stopover.
How to Get There
Depending on where you’re coming from, train travel is probably the easiest and fastest mode of transportation to Colmar. We took a 2 hour train ride from Paris. There are plenty of departure times that can work into your schedule, however, you do need to make a reservation for which train you’ll be taking.
Here are a few other nearby cities and their travel-times to Colmar via train:
- Munich-Colmar – 4.5 hours
- Zurich-Colmar – 2 hours
- Strasbourg-Colmar – 30 minutes
Where to Stay
We stayed at the cutest hotel in the heart of the town – Hotel Saint Martin. You can tell that this hotel has been here awhile and that gives it high charm points! We splurged on our own hotel room here and do not regret it one bit! We had our own balcony where we enjoyed watching the sunset with a beer and they offered a hearty breakfast on the main floor. It was an easy walk to get here from the train station which is an important factor when you’re backpacking.
What to Do
1. Go on a boat tour of the canal
The mighty Rhine River is a few miles east of Colmar, but there is a sliver of it running through the town creating a charming canal that, at the right time of year, is laden with lovely flowers. The tour we went on lasted about half an hour and gets you up close to some of the beautiful architecture in the city. It was only 7 Euros. The lines can be long, so be prepared to wait. Here is a link to the tour we took.
2. Get lost in the picturesque streets of Old Town
In the center of the town, there are plenty of great places to buy souvenirs, bakery, food/drink, and there’s something to look at around every corner. We happened to be walking past St. Martin’s Church during the mass that morning and enjoyed the lovely music.
3. Visit museums
Colmar has an incredibly rich history, and it’s got the museums to show for it. While we did not go to any of the museums in Colmar, there are quite a few to explore if you have the time to do so. Here are a few of the options:
- Unterlinden Museum – religious, local history and art museum
- The Village Hansi and it’s museum – art museum
- Musée Bartholdi – birthplace of the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty
- Musée Mémorial des combats de la Poche de Colmar – local history museum
- Musée du Jouet – toy museum
4. Go to a local winery or wine bar
Colmar is home to world-renowned Alsatian wine, so enjoying some the local flavors over dinner is a must. Here are some places you can try some local wine:
- Wolfberger – Boutique de Colmar
- Domaine Robert Karcher et Fils
- L’Un des Sens
- Le Cercle Des Aromes
- Le Major’L
- La Cave du Colmar
5. Enjoy a lovely dinner
While you’re eating, take in the environment around you – what do you see and hear? One of the things I liked about Colmar the most was how multi-cultural it was. Given that Colmar is situated really close to a couple borders, you can be in a room of people speaking many different languages, and you can see the German influences in this French town.
I hope this post inspires you to add Colmar to your list of fairytale destinations!
