A Bucket List Travel Guide to Fairytale Colmar France

Have you ever heard of Colmar France? Bet you probably haven’t. I am here to introduce you to this beaty; definitely a bucket list travel guide to fairytale Colmar France.

ALSATIAN WINE ROUTE

Located on the weaving Alsatian Wine Route and founded in the 9th Century, picturesque Colmar wows at every turn. It is a beautiful town in the Northeastern part of France, close to the German border and a relatively short drive from where I live. The vineyard landscapes along the wine route and on the outskirts of Colmar, stretch for miles on end and connect from one small village to the next. The beautifully dressed rolling hills are green and full of promise for the years harvest. It is impressively scenic.

For a girl who loves road trips, it was the ultimate ride. My wide owl eyes devoured every sight. As we approached Colmar, I am confident my eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. It was evident why the city is known as the capital of Altisian wine. When we finally arrived, I was blown away by the lovely architecture and history. I kept tripping on the cobblestone, one because I am clumsy and two because I was staring in awe at everything. After a couple of “I almost busted my face and broke an ankle” trips, I had to get my shhtuff together because exploring a city injured is not fun. Plus I was getting funny looks from the European girls who walk perfectly straight on cobblestone in 4-inch heels. After I got my touring act together, we explored the majority of the city, without a single tripping event; then we chose to sit outside a cafe to enjoy a light salad and a glass of local wine. I’ll tell you this; I approve of Alsatian wine! I think you would too. (Wink!)

As I’ve said in so many other posts, I love to travel. I would even say it is one of my passions. Traveling is a fulfilling experience and has taught me many life lessons. Along with meeting new people, hearing amazing stories, learning about fascinating cultures, and seeing new places, I’ve learned how to travel and how to save money traveling. With all the experience I’ve gained, I put together some helpful tips and travel guides for some of the cities we’ve visited so that others too may travel and experience these beautiful places: Paris France, Playa del Carmen, Brussels Belgium, Heidelberg Germany, and New Orleans.

COLMAR FRANCE

Colmar is just one of those places that look straight out of a postcard. It is such a cute little town with a country atmosphere that captures your heart and refuses to let go. The 1,000-year European history and heritage are exceptional and fascinating. Get this, sculptor Bartholdi, the father of the famous Statue of Liberty in NYC, was born in this city! The colorful half-timbered houses, historical sites, flourished canals, beautiful pedestrian town center and flower boxes adorning every street make this city unforgettable. The photos below don’t even do it justice.

The best time to visit Colmar France is April through June and August through October. Winter is harsh. July is hot and crowded with tourists; therefore, the prices are higher. The time periods above are when the weather is nicer; flower boxes are full of colorful blooms, and hotel prices are reasonable.

WHERE TO STAY

My hotel recommendations are based on my experience while exploring the city. I usually walk the town and find a hotel I would love to stay in, make a note of it and recommend it. When we visited Colmar, we stayed in a cozy and roomy apartment. We used Airbnb to book it. Here is $42 from me for your first stay. (Yay!)
James Boutique Hotel: Chic, warm and quiet hotel. Within walking distance to all the main attractions.
Hotel Quatorze. Small, centrally located gem. Near the Old Town and Little Venice.

WHAT TO SEE

Old Town
A special place to walk around and admire the colorful, historic houses. The area offers excellent shopping with quality local products and excellent restaurants.

Little Venice
Gorgeous part of the city with colorful houses and cute small canals weaving through the area. A stroll in this part of town sure is romantic and makes you wonder what the town was like long ago.

Maison Pfeister
An attractive landmark house that stands out a bit more than the rest. Beautiful woodwork decorated with lovely details that are a bit faded. But you can imagine what it looked like back in its glory days.

Eglise St-Martin
Roman Catholic Church in Gothic Style that is stunning and imposing inside and out. The cathedral sits in the busy heart of old town Colmar yet maintains an air of calm beauty and piety.

House of Heads
Unique, quirky house and now hotel built in 1609 with 106 heads. Interesting, and bizarre but captivating nonetheless.

Grand Rue Del Colmar
A historic area in Colmar, surrounded by old buildings. Bars and restaurants provide a cozy space to sit back, and people watch with a glass of local wine in hand. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of this area because, after a sunny and beautiful day, it got cloudy and started raining. Surprise. Not! We’ve gotten used to the weather changing drastically throughout the day.

Statue of Liberty
A smaller version of the Statue of Liberty located in NYC located on a roundabout. It is somewhat a tribute to the sculptor Bartholdi of the beautiful Lady Liberty, who was born there.

WHERE TO EAT

Bistrot Gourmand. Yummy, cheap eat. Slightly out of the touristy area but still within the old town area. Great place to sit back outside and watch passersby go on about their business.

Aux Armes De Colmar. Excellent food with varied cuisine styles, but mainly French and European. Wonderful service and atmosphere.

Aux Trois Poissons. Cozy and quiet restaurant located in Little Venice. The service is first class, and the food is very fresh and delicious.

WHERE TO TAKE PICTURES

Little Venice is the perfect backdrop. Just look at the picture of Cecil and me below. It’s perfect for photos.

Old Town. Although sometimes a little more crowded with tourist than what I would like, the old, colorful houses are a beautiful backdrop.

More photos