In Colmar Fairytales Find Form in Alsatian Stone
Morning mist clings to the cobblestones of Colmar, curling between half-timbered houses that lean towards one another like old friends sharing secrets. The first light catches on window boxes spilling geraniums in impossible shades of crimson and coral, whilst canal waters shimmer beneath stone bridges that have witnessed centuries flow beneath their arches. This is not merely a town; it is a watercolour painting brought to life, a place where the border between reality and fairy tale blurs with each footstep.
Colmar sits in the heart of Alsace like a jewel in a crown, neither fully French nor German, but rather an exquisite fusion of both. Its streets tell stories of a region that has changed hands between empires and nations, each leaving their mark in stone and tradition, yet somehow transcending these transitions to create something uniquely Alsatian. The morning light here possesses a quality that has drawn artists for centuries – a clarity that renders even the most ordinary doorway extraordinary, transforming ancient timbers and painted plaster into a living canvas.
In the Petite Venise quarter, where the River Lauch winds its gentle course, reflections of candy-coloured houses dance upon the water. Punts glide silently past, guided by boatmen whose families have navigated these waterways for generations. The soft splash of their poles in water provides a gentle percussion to the morning chorus of birds and the distant chiming of church bells. One can almost hear the contemplative footsteps of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who gifted the Statue of Liberty to America, echoing along these very banks where he was born.
The Collegiate Church of Saint Martin reaches toward heaven with a majesty that belies Colmar’s intimate scale. Its sandstone exterior, the colour of honey warmed by sunlight, stands sentinel over the heart of the old town. Within, light streams through 14th-century stained glass, painting medieval prayers in jewel-toned patterns across worn stone floors. The stillness here feels alive, resonant with whispered devotions and the soft footfalls of countless pilgrims who came before.
Near the church stands the Pfister House, a 16th-century architectural confection adorned with biblical and secular paintings. Its wooden gallery and octagonal turret rise above the street like something from a woodcutter’s tale, the frescoes recounting stories to passersby as they have done since 1537. One can almost see the wealthy silver merchant Pfister himself at the window, watching tradesmen and travellers flow through the square below.
In the Ancienne Douane, the old customs house, massive wooden beams support a structure that has witnessed five centuries of commerce and conversation. Now housing restaurants where diners enjoy Alsatian specialities, one can still sense the ghostly presence of merchants haggling over wine prices and customs officials carefully noting each barrel and bale.
Colmar’s culinary heritage is woven as intricately as its architectural fabric. In restaurant kitchens, chefs prepare baeckeoffe, the traditional Alsatian casserole where ceramic cracks the seal of dough to reveal lamb, beef, and pork that has married with white wine and potatoes for hours. The aroma of flammekueche – paper-thin bread dough layered with crème fraîche, onions, and lardons – wafts from wood-fired ovens, whilst copper pots bubble with choucroute garnie, its fermented cabbage tangy beneath a crown of sausages and smoked meats.
The wines of Alsace find their spiritual home in Colmar, surrounded as it is by the vineyards of the Route des Vins. In centuries-old caves, visitors sample the region’s remarkable Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, whose crystalline clarity somehow captures the essence of Alsatian light in liquid form. Friendly vignerons explain how the unique terroir – the precise composition of soil, the angle of hillside, the quality of sunlight – creates wines of extraordinary character and complexity.
Each season paints Colmar in different hues. Spring brings a riot of tulips and daffodils to window boxes and public gardens, whilst cherry blossoms dust the cobblestones with ethereal confetti. Summer sees café tables spilling onto sunlit squares, where diners linger over leisurely lunches as swallows dart between the eaves of medieval buildings.
Autumn transforms the surrounding vineyards into a tapestry of amber and crimson, the grape harvest bringing a buzz of activity to the narrow streets. Cellar doors stand open as grapes arrive from the countryside, their sweet aroma filling the lanes with the promise of vintages to come.
But perhaps winter reveals Colmar’s most magical aspect. As December approaches, the Christmas market unfolds across six locations in the old town. Wooden chalets adorned with evergreen boughs and twinkling lights house artisans selling handcrafted treasures. The scent of vin chaud – mulled wine infused with star anise, cinnamon, and orange – mingles with the sweet perfume of mannele, the brioche figures that have delighted Alsatian children for generations. Snow dusts the half-timbered façades, transforming the town into a life-sized advent calendar that would make even Dickens gasp in wonder.
Colmar’s museums speak to its artistic soul. The Unterlinden Museum, housed in a 13th-century Dominican convent, cradles the Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald’s masterpiece of Renaissance art. Standing before this extraordinary work, with its harrowing crucifixion and luminous resurrection, one feels the full force of medieval faith and human suffering, rendered in pigments that have lost none of their emotional power over five centuries.
The Bartholdi Museum celebrates the town’s most famous son, whose colossal Lady Liberty has welcomed generations to American shores. In the rooms where he was born in 1834, one can trace the development of his artistic vision through models and drawings, understanding how the boy from Colmar came to create one of the world’s most recognisable symbols of freedom.
Colmar exists in a realm between – between nations, between architectural traditions, between the medieval and the modern. Its identity has been shaped by this liminality, creating a place that feels both grounded in specific traditions and somehow universal in its appeal. The town has inspired storytellers for centuries, and one can easily imagine Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” turning a corner with her nose in a book, or Howl’s moving castle settling comfortably amongst the whimsical buildings.
Walking through the Tanners’ Quarter as evening falls, where timber-framed houses rise five stories high and wooden galleries once held animal hides drying in the wind, one feels the presence of centuries of craftsmanship. The last light catches on leaded windows and ancient beams, casting long shadows across facades painted in blues, yellows, and roses that have weathered into harmonious complexity.
The ancient stones of Colmar have witnessed a thousand years of historical tides washing across Alsace, each leaving sedimentary layers of culture and identity that have hardened into something uniquely resilient. First mentioned in imperial records in 823 CE, Colmar began life as a Carolingian royal estate, its name echoing from ancient parchments as “Columbarium” – a dovecote – perhaps a nod to the peaceful valley in which it nestles.
Walking through the Ancienne Douane, where merchants once paid duties on their wares, one can almost hear the shifting languages of authority – Latin giving way to German dialects, then French, then German again – each transition marked not merely by changing flags but by subtle alterations to the town’s architectural countenance. The building itself, with its Germanic stepped gable yet distinctly French Renaissance loggia, embodies the cultural amalgamation that defines Colmar.
The town received its imperial charter in 1226 from Emperor Frederick II, elevating it to the status of Imperial Free City. Within these medieval walls, Colmar’s burghers developed a proud civic identity, answering nominally to the distant Holy Roman Emperor but governing their own affairs with jealous autonomy. The Dolder, the 13th-century watchtower that stands sentinel over the Turckheim gate, speaks of this era of self-governance and vigilance. Climbing its worn steps, one imagines the town guards scanning the horizon for approaching armies, for in Colmar’s strategic location lay both its prosperity and its vulnerability.
The Thirty Years’ War and French Absorption
The scars of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) run deep in Alsatian memory. From the upper windows of the Maison des Têtes, with its façade adorned by grotesque sculpted faces that seem to grimace at historical trauma, one can survey the old town and imagine the devastation wrought by Swedish troops who occupied Colmar in 1632. The town’s population was decimated, its prosperity shattered in the maelstrom of Europe’s great religious conflict.
The Treaties of Westphalia that ended this cataclysm began Alsace’s slow absorption into France. Though Louis XIV claimed sovereignty over Colmar in 1673, the formal annexation came only with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. Standing in the Place du 2 Février, named for the date in 1945 when Colmar was liberated from German occupation, one contemplates how this square has been the stage for countless ceremonies of allegiance to different masters – German mayors swearing fealty to French kings, French officials pledging loyalty to German emperors.
The French Revolution swept through Colmar’s streets like a cleansing fire, transforming ancient social structures overnight. The Revolution’s legacy lives on in the Champ de Mars, the parade ground where the National Guard drilled and revolutionary fervor found expression in impassioned oratory. Here, Colmar’s citizens first tasted the heady wine of republican ideals, ideals that would be repeatedly tested in the tumultuous century to follow.
The Franco-Prussian War and German Annexation
Perhaps no period illustrates Colmar’s divided soul more poignantly than the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. The Treaty of Frankfurt in 1871 wrenched Alsace from France and placed it within the newly formed German Empire. Standing before the Prefecture building, with its distinctly German architectural flourishes added during the 1871-1918 period, one feels the weight of this forced transformation.
The Old Customs House became a tangible symbol of new borders and allegiances. German became the language of administration, education, and public life. Yet behind closed doors, many families continued to speak French and Alsatian dialect, maintaining a quiet resistance to cultural assimilation. The period gave rise to the poignant Alsatian expression: “Française de cœur, Allemande de corps” – French in heart, German in body.
Colmar’s civic buildings from this era reflect the German imperial authorities’ determination to stamp their cultural authority on the town. The imposing Wilhelmine neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance structures, like the Court of Appeal and the Main Post Office, were designed to impress upon Alsatians the permanence and grandeur of German rule. Today these buildings stand as architectural reminders of Colmar’s complex heritage, their stone façades bearing witness to the power dynamics that shaped the town’s development.
The Two World Wars: Identity in Crucible
The Great War transformed Alsace once again. French troops entered Colmar on November 18, 1918, to jubilant celebration from many citizens who had maintained their French identity through forty-seven years of German rule. The monument aux morts, the war memorial that stands in quiet dignity near the Parc du Champ de Mars, bears witness to the painful division of the period – Alsatian men who died fighting for Germany are commemorated alongside those who escaped to fight for France.
Perhaps the darkest chapter in Colmar’s long history came with the Nazi annexation in 1940. The town was not merely occupied but absorbed directly into the Third Reich, its French character systematically suppressed. Walking through the serene Parc du Champ de Mars today, one would never guess it was the site of Nazi rallies. The Bartholdi Museum, celebrating the sculptor who gave America its Statue of Liberty, was closed, its celebration of Franco-American friendship anathema to the new regime.
Liberation came to Colmar only after bitter fighting in the freezing winter of 1945, the “Colmar Pocket” being one of the last German strongholds on the western front. The Battle of Colmar, fought from January 20 to February 9, witnessed French and American forces battling street by street to reclaim the town. Standing at the Colmar Memorial 1945 on Avenue de la République, with its simple yet dignified tribute to the liberators, one contemplates the price paid for the freedom that now seems so natural among these medieval streets.
The Post-War Synthesis
From the belvedere of the Koïfhus, the 15th-century customs house that has seen five centuries of shifting borders, one gazes across a town that has finally transcended the Franco-German dichotomy that defined it for so long. After 1945, Alsace embraced a new identity – not as a contested borderland but as a bridge between cultures, a living testament to the possibility of European integration.
The European institutions that emerged in the post-war period found their philosophical home in regions like Alsace. The Council of Europe, established in 1949 and headquartered in nearby Strasbourg, embodied the new vision of a continent where cooperation replaced conquest. Looking out from the Koïfhus tower, one sees a town that has preserved the best of both French and German influences – the half-timbered Fachwerk buildings alongside elegant French mansions, rustic winstubs serving sophisticated Alsatian cuisine that marries German heartiness with French refinement.
The modern Alsatian identity, expressed so perfectly in Colmar’s harmonious streetscapes, represents neither surrender nor compromise but rather a hard-won synthesis. Here, in this town where street signs bear both French names and their Alsatian dialect equivalents, where restaurants serve flammekueche alongside coq au vin, where Gothic German architecture stands beside French Renaissance elegance, the old antagonisms have alchemized into cultural gold.
As twilight casts its gentle mantle over Colmar’s ancient rooftops, the weight of history seems to settle into the stones themselves. This town has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, weathered wars and revolutions, changed nationalities four times in less than a century, yet emerged with its essential character intact. Perhaps Colmar’s greatest triumph lies not in which flag flies above its Préfecture but in the quiet dignity with which it has absorbed these historical turmoils and transmuted them into a uniquely Alsatian identity that transcends the very notion of borders.
The Soul of a Town
What gives Colmar its particular magic is not merely its remarkable preservation or architectural harmony, but the continuation of living traditions. This is no museum piece, but a community where bakers still pull pain d’épices from ovens before dawn, where vignerons tend vines as their ancestors did, where seasonal festivals mark the turning year as they have done for centuries.
In the evening, as the streetlamps cast their golden glow across the cobblestones and locals gather in winstubs to share plates of münster cheese and glasses of Cremant d’Alsace, Colmar reveals its truest self. Beyond the picture-postcard beauty lies a town with a beating heart, a place that has weathered wars and political shifts with a quiet resilience born of knowing exactly what it is – a perfect fusion of cultures, a testament to human creativity, and a reminder that some places in our hurried world still move to the rhythm of earlier times.
To visit Colmar is to step briefly into another world, one where beauty is not an afterthought but the very foundation of daily life. It offers a gentle reminder that our surroundings shape our experience, that a town built with care and maintained with reverence creates citizens who value harmony and continuity. As the moon rises over the labyrinth of medieval streets and the sounds of evening settle into gentle quietude, one cannot help but feel grateful that such places still exist – little pockets of wonder in an increasingly standardised world.
How to reach Colmar
Driving to Colmar proved to be an absolute revelation, the kind of journey where the destination becomes secondary to the sheer joy of the road itself. I deliberately chose the scenic national routes over the faster autoroutes, trading speed for the soul-stirring experience of winding through France’s pastoral heartland. Every few kilometres brought a new vista worth savouring: golden wheat fields stretching toward distant hills, ancient stone villages where time seemed suspended in amber, and roadside cafés where locals gathered for their morning coffee. I found myself pulling over frequently, camera in hand, to capture the play of morning light across vineyard terraces or to simply stand in silence beside a centuries-old church bell tower. The freedom to stop whenever inspiration struck – whether for a spontaneous wine tasting at a family vineyard or to explore a medieval market square transformed what could have been a mere transfer into a deeply immersive cultural experience.
By the time Colmar’s fairytale spires appeared on the horizon, I had already fallen in love with the Alsace region, my soul enriched by countless small discoveries that no flight could ever provide. However, I understand that driving isn’t for everyone, therefore, below are other excellent options you may wish to explore for reaching this enchanting destination.
Flying to Colmar
Nearest Airports
Colmar is at equal distance from two international airports Colmar Alsace France Tourist Office – Travel to Colmar by Plane:
1. EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (MLH/BSL)
- Distance: 70 km from Colmar Colmar Alsace France Tourist Office – Travel to Colmar by Plane
- Direct flights from London in about 1 hour 30 minutes Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com
- This tri-national airport serves France, Switzerland, and Germany
2. Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport (SXB)
- Distance: 70 km from Colmar Colmar Alsace France Tourist Office – Travel to Colmar by Plane
- Flights taking around 1 hour 45 minutes Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com from the UK
- Primarily serves French and European destinations
Getting from Airports to Colmar
From EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse:
- The best way to reach Colmar is by train, which takes approximately 1 hour 10 minutes, including a bus transfer from the airport to the Saint-Louis station Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com
- Shuttle bus from the airport to Saint Louis train station, fast trains run at least each hour from Saint Louis to Colmar Best airport for Strasbourg and Colmar (from UK)? – Strasbourg Forum – Tripadvisor
- Train costs roughly €15–€20, depending on the time and day Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com
- A taxi directly to Colmar would cost around €100–€150 Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com
From Strasbourg Airport:
- A train journey to Colmar takes about 40 minutes Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com
- Expect to pay around €10–€15 Colmar Holidays 2025 / 2026 from £291 | Cheap Holidays to Colmar | lastminute.com for the train ticket
Alternative Major Airports
Zurich International Airport:
- Zurich International Airport is the largest airport near Colmar One Perfect Day in Colmar: Things to Know on Your First Visit
- From Zurich it’s around 2 hours by train to Colmar with a change in Mulhouse and there’s normally a train once an hour Visiting Colmar, Alsace: France’s fairytale town
Frankfurt Airport:
- Popular for US travelers
- Train connections available from Frankfurt to Colmar Railway transportation from Frankfurt Airport to Colmar France – Fall 2025 – Rick Steves Travel Forum via Strasbourg
Driving to Colmar
Major Driving Routes
From Paris (490 km / 305 miles):
- Autoroute Option (Fastest): Take A4 towards Metz/Strasbourg, then A35 south to Colmar
- Journey time: Approximately 4.5-5 hours
- Auto route saves 22 minutes but will cost 32 Euro ($40 US) Driving in France: N routes vs Auto routes – Fodor’s Travel Talk Forums in tolls
- National Routes (Toll-free): Take the national routes and pay no tolls Driving in France: N routes vs Auto routes – Fodor’s Travel Talk Forums
- Journey time: Approximately 5.5-6 hours
From Germany:
- Via A5 German Autobahn, then A35 French Autoroute
- Frankfurt to Colmar: ~350 km (3.5-4 hours)
From Switzerland:
- Via A35 from Basel: ~70 km (1 hour)
Toll Information
If you are driving a normal family car, then you can expect to pay between €10-€50 per toll, depending on the Autoroute you are on A complete guide to toll roads in France – Driving in Europe. French motorways have frequent toll stations where you can pay by:
- Cash (euros)
- Credit/debit cards
- Electronic toll tags (for frequent travellers)
Fuel Costs
In February 2025 typical supermarket fuel prices in France were Driving in France – all you need to know competitive, though prices at motorway service stations can be 5 to 20 cts. a litre more expensive Driving in France – all you need to know.
Parking in Colmar
City Centre Parking:
- Multi-story car parks are scattered throughout the town. Wherever you are in the city centre, there is bound to be one within 300m Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
- All car parks in the city centre are free for the first hour of use Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
- In the Lacarre and Saint-Josse car parks, you even get 3 hours free Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
Major Car Parks:
- Rapp Car Park: With its 900 spaces, the Rapp car park (next to the Champ de Mars) has the largest capacity Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
- Lacarre Car Park: Nearly 700 spaces Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS and offers a flat rate of €3 per day Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
- Town Hall Car Park: Near the town hall, ideally located close to the historic centre Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
Street Parking:
- On-street parking is metered and is payable between 09H00 until 19H00/20H00 each day, with a maximum parking time of around 3 hours Parking in Colmar – Colmar Forum – Tripadvisor
- The city’s streets are divided into 3 parking zones identified by a colour code: The blue zone offers free parking limited in time Where to park your car in Colmar | B&B HOTELS
Train Connections
From Paris
- It usually takes around 2 hours 44 minutes to travel the 379 km from Paris to Colmar by train, although you can get there in as little as 2 hours 20 minutes on the fastest services Paris to Colmar by Train from $36.94 | Buy Official TGV Tickets | Trainline
- You’ll normally find around 21 trains per day running on this route Paris to Colmar by Train from $36.94 | Buy Official TGV Tickets | Trainline
- Train tickets from Paris to Colmar start from $36.96 when you book in advance Paris to Colmar by Train from $36.94 | Buy Official TGV Tickets | Trainline
From Strasbourg
- On average it takes around 30 minutes to travel from Strasbourg to Colmar by train, although you can get there in 26 minutes on the fastest services Strasbourg to Colmar by Train from $7.09 | Buy Cheap Tickets | Trainline
- With 41 trains per day running on this route Strasbourg to Colmar by Train from $7.09 | Buy Cheap Tickets | Trainline
- About 15€ each way per person. Sometimes there are 9€ tickets Train Colmar to Strasbourg – Rick Steves Travel Forum
Best Time to Visit
Colmar can be visited year-round One Perfect Day in Colmar: Things to Know on Your First Visit. However, timing can enhance your experience:
- Spring (March-May): From late March through early April, the town is decorated for Easter One Perfect Day in Colmar: Things to Know on Your First Visit
- Summer (June-August): In early July, classical musical artists perform at the Colmar International Festival. At the end of July into early August, Colmar hosts the Alsace Wine Fair One Perfect Day in Colmar: Things to Know on Your First Visit
- Winter (December-February): Famous Christmas markets transform the town into a winter wonderland
Essential Travel Tips
- International Driving Permit: Required for non-EU drivers
- Currency: Euro (€) – credit cards widely accepted
- Language: French, though German is also spoken in Alsace region
- Booking Advice: If you are looking for a great vacation idea and have 7 to 10 days available, consider spending 3 days in Paris and 4 days in the Alsace wine region One Perfect Day in Colmar: Things to Know on Your First Visit
Whether you choose to fly into one of the nearby airports or drive through the scenic French countryside, Colmar awaits with its essentially traffic-free city centre is a fantasy of steep pitched roofs, pastel stucco, and aged timbers Colmar Travel Guide Resources & Trip Planning Info by Rick Steves. The journey to this Alsatian gem is part of the adventure, offering glimpses of the beautiful landscapes that make this region so special.
Copyright © Tales from the Horizon, 2025
