Colmar, with it’s pastel half-timbered houses, winding canals, and flower-draped balconies, looks like it leapt straight out of a storybook. The best thing to do in Colmar is to simply wander around. I spent 48 hours here—and it was just enough to fall in love. Here’s a quick itinerary for spending 2 days in Colmar, France.
Day 1: Arrival and Old Town Wanderings
Colmar is compact and easily walkable, so after checking into a lovely Airbnb near the Champ de Mars, we set out to stroll through Old Town. Every corner of Old Town is a photo opportunity—Quai de la Poissonnerie (Fish Market) is especially beautiful, with its colorful façades and medieval architecture.
A must-see? The Maison Pfister, a 16th-century masterpiece that blends Gothic and Renaissance styles. If you’ve been to Brussels you know that on all the must-do lists is a visit to Manneken Pis, a small sculpture of a naked little boy urinating. Luckily (ha), there is a replica in Colmar. Apparently it was a gift from Brussels for the anniversary of the Liberation of Colmar. If you happen to wander down Rue des Augustins keep an eye out for Manneken-Pis de Colmar. And don’t miss the Koïfhus, Colmar’s old customs house that now hosts exhibitions and craft markets. I popped in and bought a cute handmade fridge magnet. The same artist sold the cutest handmade sugar cookies.
Despite having a nice breakfast at Le Bistrot Gourmand, we stopped for eclairs at Claude Kraetz. When we wandered past St. Matthew’s Church we could hear their choir practice from the street so we didn’t go in.
Afternoon: Little Venice
In the afternoon, wander over to La Petite Venise—Colmar’s most picturesque quarter. You can go on a 25 minute boat ride through the canals for just €9. You can find the boats at the bottom of the Saint-Pierre bridge. More information is available on the operator’s website.
After the boat ride, stroll along Quai de la Poissonnerie towards the covered market, Marché Couvert. Here you can walk through the colorful stalls and enjoy lunch from one of the restaurants. There are local cheeses, pastries, and even some Alsatian sausages, among other things to peruse.
Colmar also has adorable boutique shops selling souvenirs, local crafts, wine, and pottery. Take your time browsing as this is part of the slow-paced Colmar charm. If you need a sweet treat there are plenty of gelato shops throughout Old Town. I think we stopped at least twice.
Evening: Bike to Eguisheim & Dinner
We visited Colmar in early September so it was warm and sunny well past 7:00 pm. We decided to rent bikes from Le Vélo Libre (self service e-bikes) and ride over to Eguisheim, an easy 25 minute ride. Eguisheim is a small medieval village with narrow cobbled streets in it’s old town.
We spent about 45 minutes in the main square before heading back to Colmar. On our way out of town it was so quiet and to be honest, our bikes on the cobbles were a bit of a spectacle. We ended the night in Colmar, where we ate dinner at Restaurant La Romantica. If you want more of a traditional Alsace dish, look for a restaurant that serves tarte flambee, which is a specialty in the region.
Day 2: Wandering, Art & Statue of Liberty
I highly recommend walking through Old Town again in the morning. It is so quiet and peaceful early in the morning. You can sit down for breakfast or do what I did, and pick up some pastries along the way. The pistachio eclair from Pâtisserie Lorber was delicious.
Make your way to the Unterlinden Museum which is housed in a former convent. It’s home to the famous Isenheim Altarpiece, and the collection spans everything from medieval religious art to modern pieces by Monet and Picasso. It’s a surprisingly world-class museum for such a small town.
Just a short walk away is St. Martin’s church, which was built between 1235 and 1365. It’s a large and beautiful church designed in Gothic architecture that’s definitely worth spending some time in. Outside of the church and around the square there was a market set up. We weren’t interested in most of the items, but I did end up buying a suitcase to pack all of my other souvenirs! As you can see from the photos below, it was worth walking around the drizzling morning to have the place (almost) to myself.
On your way out of town you can pass by the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté). It’s located in the middle of a busy roundabout and there really isn’t a great place to pull over. You can see more of Lady Liberty around town– these brass arrows are inlaid into the cobblestones throughout. They may be pointing to a popular tourist route or pointing you in the direction of the statue. I am not sure but they were fun to spot walking around.
How to get around Colmar?
We had a car because we were on an epic road trip, however, once we got to Colmar we parked and didn’t use the car until we left town. Most everything can be reached on foot. I wouldn’t recommend driving through Old Town as there are many pedestrian only roads and it’s quite bumpy from the cobbles.
Two days in Colmar isn’t nearly enough to see everything but I hope this gives you some ideas planning your own trip to this fairytale town.
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