Free walking tours in Colmar and what to see

Must-sees

Colmar is a mid-sized Alsatian town whose old town can be explored entirely on foot. Little Venice is its best-known image: colourful half-timbered houses leaning over the River Lauch, which you can tour by boat. Next to it is the Tanners’ quarter, with tall houses where hides were dried, and nearby the old covered market. Among the most striking façades are the Maison Pfister, with a wooden gallery and paintings, and the Maison des Têtes, covered in carved masks.

In the old town, the collegiate church of Saint-Martin and the old customs house, the Koïfhus, with its glazed-tile roof, stand out. The great museum is the Unterlinden, in a former convent, home to Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece. In the Dominican church you can see Martin Schongauer’s Madonna of the Rose Bower, and the birthplace of Bartholdi, creator of the Statue of Liberty, is now a museum. The Alsace Wine Route begins all around.

Free tours and guided visits

Civitatis offers a daytime free walking tour of Colmar and a night-time one, when the town is lit up. In winter there is a Christmas tour of the markets and decorated streets. To see the region there are full Alsace tours, with a guide or an audio guide, and a trip to Hunawihr and Riquewihr with a wine tasting, a good option if you are not travelling by car.

How long to spend

The old town, Little Venice and the Unterlinden museum can be seen well in a day. With two or three days you can spend the rest on the wine route, with villages such as Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg, and Haut-Koenigsbourg castle. In December it gets busier with the Christmas markets, so book ahead.

Where to stay

It is best to stay inside the old town or on its edges, so you can stroll through Little Venice once the day groups have gone. There are hotels in old houses and apartments. Near the station you will find simpler options, a short walk from the centre. If you are driving, the wine route villages have quiet guesthouses among the vineyards.