Colmar and the Alsace Wine Route: What Not to Miss

If ever there was a scene straight out of a fairytale, you’ll find it in the beautiful village of Colmar in northeastern France. Stunning doesn’t really cover it, and although pictures tell a thousand words, there is nothing like seeing it for yourself, as it’s even more beautiful in person. It’s the perfect base for exploring the Alsace region.

The cobbled streets, the colorful buildings laden with flowers, and the canals running through the village simply take your breath away. You can see where the inspiration for fairytales like Beauty and the Beast and Hansel and Gretel came from. Nothing, no matter how many images you’ve seen or how much you’ve read, quite prepares you for the beauty of Colmar.

A Quick Dip into Colmar’s Past

Colmar might look like it’s been lifted straight from a storybook, but its past is full of real-life twists. It’s one of those places that has changed hands so many times that you wonder how the locals kept track of which language to speak. French? German? Back to French? The Alsace region, where Colmar sits, has spent centuries caught between two powerful neighbors. It is evident in everything, from the food to the architecture to the street signs.

The earliest mention of Colmar goes back to the ninth century. It began as a sleepy farming village but evolved into a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century. That meant it had a bit of freedom, but also a whole lot of responsibility and a constant need to protect itself. Over the centuries, it grew into a bustling trading hub with wine merchants and craftsmen building the town’s wealth.

Like much of Alsace, Colmar didn’t have it easy. Plagues, wars, fires, and occupations all left their mark. The Thirty Years’ War in particular turned the region upside down. Then came Louis XIV, who claimed it for France. But that was just the start of the tug-of-war. Germany took over in 1871. France got it back in 1918. Germany grabbed it again in 1940. Then France reclaimed it after World War II. All that back-and-forth shaped the Colmar you see today.

The good news? Through all the political chaos, the town held onto its soul. Buildings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance still stand, and the old town feels almost frozen in time. But Colmar is no museum. 

The Best Way to Explore Colmar

The best way to see Colmar is on foot, no question. The old town is compact, flat, and full of details you’d miss in a car or bus. Walk slowly. Stop often. Look up. It’s the kind of place where turning a corner feels like opening a new page in a picture book, and you can’t help but wonder about the real-life stories behind every painted shutter and flower-filled window box. From museums to monuments and those postcard-perfect streets, there’s plenty to discover once you start wandering.

Famous Streets & Neighborhoods

La Petite Venise

You’ll hear this name frequently, and yes, it lives up to the hype. La Petite Venise is the most photographed part of Colmar, where the half-timbered houses line up along a canal that winds its way through the old town. It’s quiet in the mornings, packed by midday, and magical at night when the lights hit the water just right. But don’t expect gondolas or drama. It’s small, peaceful, and better explored slowly with an ice cream or a camera in hand.

If you’re here in spring or summer, the flowers spill over every balcony and bridge. It’s also where you’ll find some of the town’s best spots for outdoor dining, especially if you grab a seat by the water and just watch the world drift by. Come in winter and you’ll enjoy the Christmas Market, which is magical.

Grand Rue

Grand Rue does what it says on the tin. It’s the main street running through the heart of town, and it’s where old meets new in the best possible way. You’ll see centuries-old buildings with sloping roofs and painted facades now home to boutiques, wine shops, and boulangeries with lines out the door.

It’s a great place to start your day, especially if you like peeking into courtyards and side alleys. It’s not just for tourists either. The pace changes depending on the time of day. Morning deliveries, lunchtime rush, late afternoon quiet. Walk it more than once and you’ll see a different side every time.

Famous Buildings To Look Out For

Saint-Martin Collegiate Church

There has been a church on this spot since the 5th century, but the one you see today began construction in the 1200s and took over a hundred years to complete. Like most big churches in France, it wasn’t built all in one go. Bits got added, rebuilt, and patched up depending on what burned down, who had money, and what war was rolling through.

Step inside and you can feel the layers. Some of the columns lean ever so slightly. The chapels along the sides are quiet and dim, and if you look closely, you’ll find worn faces in the stone, chipped by time. The tower you see now isn’t original either; it was rebuilt in the 1500s after a fire took out the old one.

One of the most famous paintings from Colmar, Schongauer’s Madonna of the Rose Bower, was made for this church. It was stolen in the 1970s and recovered a year later, but it was moved for safekeeping. You’ll have to visit the Dominican Church down the road to see it now.

Koïfhus (Old Custom House)

Right at the corner of Grand Rue and Rue des Marchands sits the Koïfhus, once the most important building in town. If you wanted to bring goods in or out of medieval Colmar, this was the place to stop. It has been around since the 1400s and can be found in city records as early as 1433. The building we see today was finished in 1480, with two extra wings added in the 1500s. The ground floor was where traders had to cough up their customs fees, and upstairs was where the big decisions were made.

The upstairs hall hosted meetings for the Décapole, the alliance of ten imperial cities across Alsace, and the town’s Magistrate also gathered here. After the Revolution stripped away all the old privileges, the building got repurposed again and again. It was a theater in the 1840s. It hosted a bank office in 1848. It even held both a Catholic boys’ school and a Jewish school at different points in the late 1800s.

By the 19th century, the entire place was in disrepair. There was even talk of tearing it down. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. The turret and the colorful roof tiles were added during the big restoration in the 1890s. In 2002, they finally repaired the sandstone balustrade that had been removed in the ’70s. Today, the Koïfhus is still used for public events, exhibitions, and local festivals. 

Maison Pfister

Built in 1537 by a wealthy hatter, it was one of the first private homes in Colmar to get a Renaissance makeover. Corner turrets, a wooden gallery, and frescoes. But what makes it stand out is the detail. There are painted portraits of emperors, saints, and maybe even the owner himself looking smug in a velvet cap. 

Locals will tell you it was a bold move at the time. Not everyone liked seeing that kind of wealth so openly flaunted. The house changed hands many times, and for a while, it stood empty and faded. Now it’s back in good shape, though still privately owned, so don’t expect to go inside. You’ll have to make do with staring up like everyone else.

Maison des Têtes

The “House of Heads” was built in 1609 by a wealthy wine merchant, and the façade is covered in over a hundred sculpted faces. Some are serious, some are twisted, and a few look like they’ve seen things they’d rather forget. No one knows exactly why so many were included. Some say it was to show off the skill of the stonecutters. Others claim it was meant to intimidate rivals or scare off evil. 

During the German occupation, it was used by Nazi officers, and a few of the heads were chipped or vandalized. They’ve been restored, but look closely and you’ll see which ones have a newer sheen. These days it’s a hotel, although I haven’t stayed there myself.

Famous Monuments

Statue of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

Colmar’s most famous son gave France (and the US) the Statue of Liberty. You’ll see his name all over town. The statue in the old town at Place des Martyrs de la Résistance depicts Bartholdi himself, holding a model of Liberty in one hand and gazing off into the distance as if planning his next great idea.

The statue, however, didn’t show up until 2011. That’s right, over a hundred years after Bartholdi died. Colmar had previously celebrated him with a small museum in his childhood home, but the statue was part of a more recent effort to truly own his legacy. It’s a local sculptor, Alain Bonnefoit, who designed it. 

The Schwendi Fountain

You’ll find the Schwendi Fountain at Place de l’Ancienne Douane. The man at the top of the fountain is Lazare de Schwendi, and he’s holding a vine. A lot of people assume he’s just showing off Colmar’s wine history, but there’s a whole legend behind that grapevine.

The story goes that Schwendi brought Tokay vines back from Hungary in the 16th century and planted them in Alsace, helping kickstart the local wine scene. No one can say for sure if it’s true, but the fountain immortalizes the tale. What we do know is that Schwendi was a general under Emperor Charles V and helped defend Alsace during some of the most brutal years of conflict.

Museums

Unterlinden Museum

The museum is set inside a former Dominican convent from the 1200s, and parts of the old cloister still survive. Established in 1853, the museum’s inception was driven by the Schongauer Society, named after the renowned local artist Martin Schongauer. Their mission was to preserve regional art and heritage, leading to the transformation of the abandoned convent into a cultural institution.

The big drawcard is the Isenheim Altarpiece, a collaborative masterpiece by Matthias Grünewald and Niclaus of Haguenau, created between 1512 and 1516. Originally commissioned for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Isenheim, the altarpiece was designed to provide solace to patients suffering from ergotism, a common affliction at the time. Its vivid and emotive depictions of suffering and redemption continue to captivate visitors.

But don’t stop there. The rest of the museum covers everything from Alsatian archaeology and medieval sculpture to paintings by Holbein, Cranach, Monet, and Picasso. There’s even a whole modern wing now, built into what used to be the public baths and connected by an underground gallery.

Bartholdi Museum

The Bartholdi Museum is set inside the house where Bartholdi was born. There are sketches, models, letters, and personal objects. You see how Liberty evolved from idea to icon. He was obsessed with national identity, freedom, and symbols. His early work was more political than poetic, and there’s a toughness to it that reflects the times he lived through. The courtyard has one of his original sculptures and is worth a look.

Hansi Museum

Jean-Jacques Waltz, better known as Hansi, was an illustrator, satirist, and an Alsatian. His art is deceptively sweet at first glance. Lots of rosy-cheeked children, village scenes, and traditional costumes. But look closer, and you’ll find sharp edges. His work directly targeted German occupation and cultural erasure, particularly during the early 20th century.

Hansi believed in protecting Alsace’s identity at all costs, and that comes through in every pen stroke. If you’ve seen the postcards and posters all over town, this is where you go to meet the man behind them. The Hansi Museum is worth a visit.

Take a Tour of Colmar

I often find the best way to get to know a place is to do a tour with a local. They have so much knowledge you’ll never find on your own, and the stories they tell make it worthwhile. Our tour guide, Nicolas, was full of knowledge and shared fun stories that brought the history of Colmar to life. Plus, we finished off with a wine tasting in a local, independent wine store. A great end to the tour.

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The Alsace Wine Route

The Alsace Wine Route stretches over 100 miles through the Vosges foothills, linking nearly 70 wine villages. It was officially established in 1953 to promote local wine tourism, but winemaking in the region dates back to Roman times. The route is renowned for its crisp whites, particularly Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris, which are grown in some of the oldest documented vineyards in France. 

The mix of German and French influences is evident in the wine styles and village names. From Colmar, you’ve got easy access to places like Eguisheim, Turckheim, and Kaysersberg, where many of the producers are small-scale and family-owned. 

Take the Wine Tour

To truly appreciate the wine region, it’s best to take one of the tours that combine sightseeing with wine tasting, eliminating the need for driving. The one I took was on a minibus that drove through the most spectacular scenery. 

We stopped off at both Eguisheim and Riquewihr for a look around, followed by a visit to a Kaysersberg Vineyard. We had an hour and a half at Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle and finished the day with a tour of one of the vineyards with a tasting at the end. It was fabulous. I learned so much on that tour about how the wine region developed, as well as tasting some rather wonderful wine.

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Where To Stay in Colmar

Hotel Le Maréchal 

I had three wonderful nights at Hotel Le Maréchal, and you’re right in the heart of the old town. It appealed to me immediately, as it’s a very old building with lots of old-world charm, built in 1565 on the city’s original fortified walls. A few things to bear in mind, due to the age of the building, the rooms are quite small, you won’t get the same facilities as you would at a modern hotel, and there are lots of little steps everywhere, but the views of the canal are spectacular and I couldn’t fault the service. I’d stay there again in a heartbeat.

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Hotel Le Colombier

If you’re after a little four-star luxury, this is the hotel to book. It’s perfectly positioned, too, as it’s in the Little Venice district of Colmar town center. 

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Villa Elyane 

I’ve heard good things about Villa Elyane from friends of mine who have stayed there. It’s set in a quiet and tranquil part of Colmar and is about a fifteen-minute walk through the park to the town center. They even have a billiard room and library, so I might have to try it on my next trip.

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Spending a Week in Colmar

Colmar makes a great base, but there’s loads to see just beyond it too. Strasbourg is only about 45 minutes by train if you fancy a day in a bigger city with a different vibe. Eguisheim is just down the road, one of the prettiest villages in France, though don’t expect it to be quiet in peak season. Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, and Ribeauvillé are also nearby and worth the trip for their stunning views, picturesque vineyards, and history. 

You can visit most of these spots by bus or tour, but if you truly want the freedom to explore the wine route and venture off the beaten path, renting a car makes it easier. Just be ready for narrow roads, tight parking, and a few hairpin bends in the hills. It’s all part of the fun.