Things to Do in Colmar, France: Canals and Half-Timbered Streets
Colmar sits in the Alsace region of northeast France, close to the German border, and it wears that position proudly. The houses are timber framed and painted in improbable colors, the menus mix French and German cooking, and a little river called the Lauch runs straight through town. Over two visits I built a small list of things I genuinely loved, beyond the obvious walk down the main street. Here is what I would tell a friend to do.
Wander Little Venice
Start in La Petite Venise, the quarter where the Lauch river runs beside the colorful houses and the laundry hangs over the water like a flag. The fishing district, as it is called, is the prettiest corner of the old town. Take the flat bottomed boat ride along the canal if you can; it is short, cheap, and the guide tells you about the tanners and fishermen who once worked these banks. Failing that, just stand on the bridges near the Rue de la Poissonnerie and let the scene do the work.
Follow the old town on foot
Colmar is small and best seen walking. Aim for the Place de l Ancienne Douane, with its old customs house, and the area around the Maison Pfister, a timber framed house from 1537 that looks like it belongs in a children s book. The Saint Martin church and the square in front of it are worth a slow lap. In November the town transforms for its famous Christmas market, and the same cobbled streets you walked in sunshine become a wall of lights and mulled wine. Either season, the charm holds.
See the art, especially the Isenheim Altarpiece
The biggest name in Colmar’s museums is the Unterlinden, housed in a former convent. Its treasure is the Isenheim Altarpiece, an enormous 16th century altarpiece by Matthias Gruner that is darker and stranger than anything else in town. Budget a proper hour here, because the panels need to be read slowly. There are also smaller museums, but if you only pick one, make it this. It gives the pastel town a dose of real, serious history that surprises most visitors.
Eat and drink like an Alsatian
The food here is a highlight. Try an Alsatian tarte flambee, a thin flatbread with cream, onion and bacon that is like a distant cousin of pizza, or go heavy with the choucroute, a mound of sauerkraut and sausages. Pair it with a local Riesling or Gewurztraminer. The wine lists in Colmar draw on the steep vineyards just outside town. Even a simple evening walk after dinner, past the glowing timbered houses, feels like part of the ritual of the place.
Head out on the Wine Route or to the villages
Colmar is the natural base for the Alsace Wine Route. Rent a car for a day or join a tour and stop at the picture perfect villages: Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg. Each is a tighter, quieter version of Colmar itself, and together they are the classic day trip. If wine is not your thing, the same road takes you past the fairy tale castle of Haut Koenigsbourg, which looks out over the whole plain and is worth the climb to its battlements.
Plan the visit well
Give Colmar a full day, ideally a night and two days, to see the main streets without rushing and still have time for a museum and dinner. Summer and the Christmas season are the busiest times, so book ahead. The old town is flat and walkable, great news for sore feet. Most shops close on Mondays and around midday on Sundays, so line up your errands accordingly. And bring a camera that handles low light, because this town photographs best in the evening glow and the winter market light.
Colmar is a storybook town that actually delivers. It is small enough to fall in love with in a single afternoon and rich enough to keep you there for days. Walk the canals, see the altarpiece, eat the tarte flambee, and give the place the gentle pace it deserves.
