The first time I saw a picture of Colmar, France, I was mesmerized. This breathtaking medieval village is straight out of a fairytale. From the narrow cobblestone streets lined with winding canals, to the colorful half-timbered houses adorned with overflowing flower pots, and the charming restaurants with sunny terraces on the water, Colmar may just be the most beautiful small town in France.

If you’re visiting Paris and want to explore a quiet, small village in France, you can easily get to Colmar by train. Keep reading for our suggested itinerary, where to stay, where to eat, and a few other tips for traveling to this unique region.

Below are the main points of interest and most photogenic spots in Colmar. You can click on the GPS locations to save them to your Google Maps to make sure you see the best of Colmar!

La Petite Venise {GPS Location}

The three pictures above were taken in the La Petite Venise area. This is the iconic, picture-perfect view you’ll see on every postcard of Colmar! Be sure to pop in the Covered Market nearby.

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Where to Stay

I stayed in an Airbnb near La Petite Venise. Join Airbnb using this link to get $40 off your first booking.

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Schwendi Fountain {GPS Location}

This is a cute little area with a fountain and a canal lined with shops and restaurants. Perfect for sitting and having lunch or a drink on one of the many terraces.

Au Vieux Pignon {GPS Location}

You’ll find this colorful gift basket shop on a little side street off the Grand Rue. Definitely spend some time wandering down the Grand Rue and exploring all the little side streets!

Rue des Clefs {GPS Location}

Rue des Clefs is another one of the main streets for wandering and shopping with a few side streets to explore. Right in front of the Monoprix grocery store there was a little cart selling Italian granitas in every color of the rainbow. I ran into a fellow foodie who has a gorgeous Instagram account and I couldn’t resist taking pictures of our fun drinks together!

Version Originale 68 {GPS Location}

How cute is little little cafe by the canal near La Petite Venise? The perfect place to relax for a bit after a morning of exploring.

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Where to Eat in Colmar:

Pâtisserie Jean {GPS Location}

There’s a little gelato stand outside this beautiful patisserie with AMAZING gelato!! So many delicious, creative flavors!

Rue des Boulangers {GPS Location}

Literally translates to “Street of Bakers”. Living up to its name, some of the best bakeries and croissants can be found on this street.

Restaurant La Soï {GPS Location}

When you’re in Colmar you’ll definitely want to try tarte flambée, one of the most famous specialties of the region. It’s kind of like a pizza — the most traditional variety has a thin crust topped with cream, onions, and bacon. But of course there are fun, gourmet variations as well. One of my favorite tarte flambée experiences was at Restaurant La Soï. It’s a tiny little restaurant run by a husband and wife. The kitchen is open and it feels like you’re a guest in their home. Such a cozy, charming atmosphere. And of course the tarte flambée was fabulous!

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Saint Martin Church {GPS Location}

The church is free to enter. When I visited there were panhandlers standing at every entrance who made it seem like you had to make a donation to the church to enter — but really they are just keeping the money as a “tip” for holding the door open for you.

La Déco de Julie {GPS Location}

Right by a little home decor shop there’s a bridge with a beautiful overlook of the canal.

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Strasbourg

Grand Rue, Strasbourg {GPS Location}

Colmar is just 30 minutes by train from Strasbourg, another beautiful city in France with similar architecture and vibe. It’s a bit bigger, with more to see and do. If you have time, you’ll probably want to visit both.

There are direct trains to Colmar from Strasbourg. The trains run often and are very easy to use.  If you stay in Strasbourg, you could easily do a day trip to Colmar.

There are also direct trains to Colmar from Paris. The train from Paris to Colmar is about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Definitely possible to do in a day trip if you have to, but it would be a lot of traveling.

Both Strasbourg and Colmar are easily explored on foot, so you don’t need to rent a car to see these two picturesque towns.

 

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Suggested Itinerary

You can see the main highlights of Strasbourg in a day. If you’re interested in visiting this area, my recommendation would be 2 nights in Strasbourg / 1 night in Colmar:

• Day 1: Travel to Strasbourg. Afternoon and overnight in Strasbourg.
• Day 2: Full day in Strasbourg. Overnight in Strasbourg.
• Day 3: Travel to Colmar. Day and overnight in Colmar.

Alternatively, on Day 3 you could just take a day trip to Colmar and go back to Strasbourg for the night — it just depends on if you would prefer to stay in the same hotel or if you don’t mind packing up and swapping hotel rooms.

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Au Vieux Strasbourg {GPS Location}

Strasbourg is located very near the border of Germany. The blending of German and French influences can very easily be seen in the culture and architecture.

Rue Mercière {GPS Location}

One of the main highlights of Strasbourg is the gothic Notre Dame Cathedral.

Maison Kammerzell {GPS Location}

Towering and majestic, it was once the world’s tallest building and today it is still the sixth-tallest church in the world. The cathedral has a distinct pink hue from the sandstone used in its construction.

Notre Dame Cathedral {GPS Location}

Be sure to go inside to see the dramatic 60-foot astronomical clock, one of the largest in the world.

You can also climb the tower for a spectacular overlook of Strasbourg.

Le Gruber {GPS Location}

Colmar and Strasbourg are two very beautiful, very unique cities in France. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend putting them on your bucket list!

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More Fairytale Villages in Europe

If you like Colmar, you’ll love:

• Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
• Nuremberg, Germany
• Stein am Rhein, Switzerland
• Lucerne, Switzerland
• Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
• Ghent, Belgium

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Until next time!