Colmar is a small city in Alsace, in northeastern France, with one of the best-preserved old towns in the country: canals lined with colorful half-timbered houses, Gothic churches, Renaissance merchants’ homes and a world-class museum. It is also the self-styled capital of Alsace wine and the ideal base for exploring the wine villages around it.

Quick answer: the top things to do in Colmar are walking the old town, seeing Little Venice (Petite Venise) from the water or the bridges, visiting the Unterlinden Museum and its Isenheim Altarpiece, browsing the covered market and tasting Alsace wines. One full day covers the city; two or three days let you add Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg. In December, Colmar’s Christmas markets are among the most beautiful in France.

Colmar Old Town Walk

Colmar’s center is compact and mostly pedestrianized, so the best way to see it is on foot. A loop of 2–3 hours, with stops, takes in the main sights:

1. Place de l’Ancienne Douane and the Koïfhus: the old customs house, built in the late 15th century, with a colorful glazed-tile roof. The square around it is one of the liveliest in town.
2. Maison Pfister: a Renaissance house from the 16th century with a wooden gallery, painted facades and a corner turret; it’s one of Colmar’s most photographed buildings.
3. Collégiale Saint-Martin: the large Gothic church at the center of the old town.
4. Église des Dominicains: a Dominican church that displays Martin Schongauer’s famous painting The Virgin of the Rose Bush (1473). There is a small entry fee.
5. Maison des Têtes: a 17th-century house whose facade is covered with more than a hundred carved heads and masks; it now houses a hotel and restaurant.
6. Quartier des Tanneurs: the old tanners’ quarter, with tall half-timbered houses and open lofts once used to dry hides.
7. Rue des Marchands and Grand’Rue: streets of shops, bakeries and wine shops linking the main sights.

Start early in the morning or stay in the evening to see the streets without day-trip crowds. The old town is beautifully lit after dark.

Little Venice and Boat Rides

Petite Venise (Little Venice) is the southern part of the old town where the Lauch River flows between pastel-colored houses with flower boxes. The best views are from the bridge on Rue de Turenne and along the Quai de la Poissonnerie in the old fishmongers’ district.

From roughly spring to autumn, small flat-bottomed boats take visitors on short rides of about 25–30 minutes along the Lauch, passing under low bridges and past gardens. Boats leave from the Little Venice area and do not usually need to be booked far ahead, but expect queues on summer afternoons. Check current operating months, as they depend on water levels and the season.

A little tourist train also tours the old town if you’d prefer not to walk.

Unterlinden Museum and the Isenheim Altarpiece

The Unterlinden Museum is Colmar’s main cultural highlight. Housed in a former 13th-century convent and a modern extension designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, it covers art and history from prehistory to the 20th century.

The star is the Isenheim Altarpiece, painted by Matthias Grünewald and sculpted by Nicolas of Haguenau in the early 16th century for a monastery hospital at Isenheim. Its Crucifixion panel is one of the most powerful images in European art, and the altarpiece’s restoration has brought back vivid colors. Allow at least 1.5–2 hours, and check current opening days (the museum closes on some weekdays).

Bartholdi Museum and Other Museums

• Bartholdi Museum: the birthplace of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the Colmar-born sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. It displays models, drawings and documents about the statue and his other works. A replica of the Statue of Liberty stands on a roundabout at the northern entrance to town.
• Toy Museum (Musée du Jouet): a fun stop with children, with model trains, dolls and toys from several eras.
• Natural History and Ethnography Museum: a small museum near Little Venice with collections from Alsace and beyond.

Food and Wine in Colmar

The covered market

The Marché Couvert, a 19th-century brick and iron market hall on the edge of Little Venice, has stalls selling cheese, charcuterie, pastries, fruit and wine, plus a few spots to eat. It’s a great place for a casual lunch or picnic supplies. It is closed on some days, so check opening times.

Alsatian dishes to try

• Tarte flambée (flammekueche): a thin, crisp flatbread with cream, onions and bacon.
• Choucroute garnie: sauerkraut with sausages and pork, often cooked in Riesling.
• Baeckeoffe: a slow-baked casserole of meat and potatoes marinated in white wine.
• Munster: a strong washed-rind cheese from the nearby Vosges valleys.
• Kougelhopf: a tall, ring-shaped brioche with raisins and almonds; at Christmas, look for bredele biscuits and gingerbread.

For a traditional meal, look for a winstub, a cozy Alsatian wine tavern. Colmar also has some fine-dining restaurants, so book ahead in high season and during the Christmas markets.

Wine

Colmar is surrounded by vineyards and full of wine shops and tasting rooms. Try Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and the sparkling Crémant d’Alsace. In late July and early August, the city hosts the Foire aux Vins d’Alsace, a large regional wine fair with concerts. To taste at the source, follow the Alsace Wine Route into the surrounding villages.

Christmas in Colmar

From late November until the end of December, Colmar hosts several Christmas markets across the old town, including stalls on the Place des Dominicains, around the Koïfhus and the Place de l’Ancienne Douane, and a children’s market in Little Venice. Wooden chalets sell ornaments, crafts, mulled wine and gingerbread, and the whole town is decorated and illuminated.

It is magical but crowded, especially on weekends. Book accommodation months in advance, visit on weekdays if you can and arrive early in the day. For other markets in the region, see our guide to the best Christmas markets in France.

Day Trips to the Wine Villages

Destination	Distance from Colmar	Why go
Eguisheim	About 15 minutes by car	Circular medieval village, wine tasting
Turckheim	About 10 minutes by train or car	Fortified gates and a summer night watchman tour
Kaysersberg	About 20 minutes by car or bus	Fortified bridge, castle ruins, Christmas market
Riquewihr	About 20–25 minutes by car or bus	The most famous wine village in Alsace
Ribeauvillé	About 25 minutes by car	Painted houses and three castle ruins
Haut-Kœnigsbourg	About 35–40 minutes by car	Hilltop castle with views to the Black Forest
Strasbourg	About 30 minutes by train	Cathedral, Petite France, European institutions

Without a car, regional buses link Colmar with Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and other villages, but services are limited (especially on Sundays), so check timetables. Guided minibus tours and e-bike rentals are good alternatives. Read more in is Riquewihr worth visiting and our Strasbourg travel guide. Basel in Switzerland and Freiburg in Germany are also within about an hour.

Getting There and Where to Stay

Getting to Colmar

• From Paris: TGV trains from Paris Gare de l’Est take about 2.5–3 hours, some direct and others with a change in Strasbourg.
• From Strasbourg: frequent regional trains take about 30 minutes.
• By air: the nearest major airport is EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, about an hour away; Strasbourg airport is also an option.
• By car: the old town is largely pedestrian. Use the public car parks around the center and walk in.

The train station is about 15 minutes’ walk from the old town, or a short bus ride.

Where to stay

• Old town and Little Venice: the most atmospheric area, close to everything; book early for summer and December.
• Near the train station: often cheaper and practical if you arrive by train or plan day trips.
• A wine village: Eguisheim, Turckheim or Riquewihr for a quieter stay, best with a car.

Wondering about budget? See is Colmar expensive. And if you’re still deciding whether to go, is Colmar worth visiting weighs the pros and cons.

Practical Tips

• How long to stay: one full day for the city; two or three days to add the wine villages.
• Best time to visit: May–June and September–October for pleasant weather and the grape harvest; December for Christmas markets. Colmar is one of the driest cities in France, sheltered by the Vosges.
• Crowds: tour groups arrive mid-morning; walk the old town early or in the evening.
• Museums: check closing days before you go, as not all museums open every day.

Summary

The best things to do in Colmar are walking its half-timbered old town, admiring Little Venice from a bridge or a boat, seeing the Isenheim Altarpiece at the Unterlinden Museum and enjoying Alsatian food and wine. Spend a day in the city, then use it as a base for Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and the rest of the wine route, and come back in December if you’d like to see one of France’s most charming Christmas towns.