TRIP OVERVIEW
Day 1 – Bartholdi Museum · Collégiale Saint-Martin · Dominican Church · Unterlinden Museum
Day 2 – Petite Venise · La Krutenau · Koïfhus · Maison Pfister
Day 3 – Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg · Bergheim · Ribeauvillé · Riquewihr
Day 1
1. Bartholdi Museum~1 hr
The birthplace and museum of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty. The 17th-century townhouse contains models, drawings and personal effects tracing the Liberty statue from its earliest sketches through its 1886 installation in New York Harbour.
Tuesday - Sunday 10:00am - 12:00pm · 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Closed Monday
Closed January & February
2. Collégiale Saint-Martin~45 min
Colmar's great Gothic church, begun in the 13th century and built over two hundred years. The west façade carries some of the finest Rhineland Gothic sculpture in Alsace; the roofline features polychrome glazed-tile patterns that define Alsatian church architecture. Known informally as Colmar's Cathedral.
3. Dominican Church~45 min
A 14th-century Gothic church housing Martin Schongauer's Virgin in the Rose Bower, 1473 — a panel painting of extraordinary refinement. Michelangelo traveled to Colmar to study under Schongauer, arriving only to learn he had died. What remained was this painting and his legacy across the city.
Tuesday 10:00am - 6:00pm · Thursday - Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Closed Monday & Wednesday
4. Unterlinden Museum~2 hr
One of France's great regional museums, home to the Isenheim Altarpiece — a 16th-century polyptych painted for a hospital treating ergotism. Grünewald depicted Christ's body covered in ergotism sores so patients could see their suffering in the Passion. Among the most powerful paintings in European art.
Wednesday - Monday 9:00am - 6:00pm
Closed Tuesday
Day 2
1. Petite Venise~1 hr 30 min
The most photographed quarter — half-timbered houses in Alsatian pastels reflected in the Lauch river, with flower-draped balconies leaning over the water. Built by tanners and fishmongers who backed their houses onto the canal; what survived is one of the most intact medieval waterfronts in France.
Open 24/7
2. La Krutenau~30 min
The former tanners' district — narrow lanes of half-timbered houses whose upper floors were oversized to allow hides to dry indoors. The buildings list into the street, wooden frames leaning over cobbled alleys barely touched since the 17th century. Immediately east of Petite Venise and far less visited.
Open 24/7
3. Koïfhus~20 min
The old customs house of Colmar — a 15th-century arcaded loggia building in late-Gothic style that once controlled all goods traded in the city. Its ground-floor arches were open for merchants; the upper floor housed the city's tax administration. Among the best-preserved customs houses on the Upper Rhine.
Open 24/7
4. Maison Pfister~20 min
Colmar's most celebrated house — a 1537 merchant's residence with an oriel tower, loggia arcade and exterior roundels painted with German emperors and biblical scenes. A masterwork of German Renaissance civic architecture, it sits at a bend in the street that makes the full facade reveal itself as a theatrical event.
Open 24/7
Day 3
1. Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg~2 hr
A medieval castle on a 757-metre Vosges summit, rebuilt 1901–1908 by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The most visited castle in Alsace — views from the towers sweep the Rhine plain to the Black Forest. The state rooms, great hall and armoury are intact.
Daily 9:00am - 5:00pm (Apr - Sep 9:00am - 6:00pm)
2. Bergheim~30 min
A small Alsatian wine village with near-complete 14th-century ramparts — walls and three towers encircle the old town almost entirely. Half-timbered main street and Gothic church preserved and quiet; Bergheim receives a fraction of the visitors that flood Riquewihr.
Open 24/7
3. Ribeauvillé~1 hr
A wine-route town beneath three ruined medieval towers on the forested ridge above. The arcaded Grand-Rue is lined with 16th-century half-timbered houses; the 13th-century church tower anchors the upper end. Ribeauvillé makes the finest Alsatian Riesling and is more authentic than its famous neighbours.
4. Riquewihr~1 hr 30 min
The showpiece village of the Alsace Wine Route — a double-walled medieval town that escaped both world wars intact. The Rue du Général de Gaulle is an unbroken corridor of half-timbered houses in Alsatian pastel, with the Dolder tower punctuating the ramparts. One of the most photographed villages in France.
Weekly Closures
Art Museums · Closed Tuesday
Museums & Religious Sites · Closed Monday
Churches & Chapels · Closed Wednesday
Tours
Viator
Half-day morning tour along the Alsace Wine Route with visits to Hunawihr, Riquewihr and Eguisheim — three of the most picturesque villages — plus a guided wine tasting at a family winery. Max 8.
4 hr · Max 8
Small-group afternoon wine tour through Alsace villages and vineyards, stopping at carefully chosen wineries to taste Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris directly from local producers. Max 8.
4 hr · Max 8
Full-day tour visiting 6 Alsatian villages along the Wine Route including Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim, with a guided tasting at a local winery. Max 8.
8 hr · Max 8
Full-day small-group wine tour departing Colmar for three wineries along the Alsace Route des Vins, with guided tastings of each estate's wines and stops in medieval villages. Max 8.
8 hr · Max 8
GetYourGuide
A 2-hour local-led walk through Colmar's hidden courtyards, forgotten alleys and the stories tourist routes skip — told by a guide who grew up here.
2 hr · Small group
Follow the Alsace Wine Route by air-conditioned minivan to four idyllic medieval villages — Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr — with free time in each village and optional wine tasting at a local cave.
8 hr · Small group
↔
A 60-minute local-led sprint through Colmar's most beautiful streets — Petite Venise, the Old Town and the landmarks every visitor should see.
1 hr · Small group · max 8
TripAdvisor
Small-group day trip by air-conditioned minivan visiting Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr — Alsace's four most beautiful medieval villages — with wine tasting at a local cave. Max 7.
8 hr · Max 7
Half-day guided wine tour departing Colmar for the Alsatian Wine Route, visiting wineries with tastings and stopping in pretty villages. Max 8.
4 hr · Max 8
Full-day wine tour visiting three Alsatian wineries with guided tastings and stops in medieval villages along the Route des Vins. Max 8.
8 hr · Max 8
Half-day minivan tour from Colmar visiting three quintessentially Alsatian villages — Kaysersberg, Hunawihr and Riquewihr — with free time to wander cobblestone streets and browse local shops. Max 8.
4 hr · Max 8
Cappuccino
Mokka Café · 4.4 · 636+ reviews
Wednesday - Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm · Sunday 11:00am - 6:00pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Tinto Coffee Spot · 4.6 · 393+ reviews
Wednesday - Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm · Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday
1924 Un Monde de Cafés · 4.3 · 300+ reviews
Monday - Wednesday 8:00am - 6:00pm · Thursday - Saturday 8:00am - 6:30pm
Closed Sunday
Restaurants Near Hotel
Wistub Brenner · 4.3 · 1491+ reviews
Traditional Alsatian cooking in a wood-panelled dining room, Petite Venise.
Daily 12:00pm - 4:00pm · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Bistrot des Lavandières · 4.2 · 1577+ reviews
Traditional Alsatian dishes and a canal terrace in Petite Venise.
Daily 12:00pm - 2:00pm · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Brasserie des Tanneurs · 4.3 · 800+ reviews
Choucroute royale and Alsatian specialities in the Tanners' Quarter.
Daily 11:30am - 2:00pm · 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Downtown Restaurants
Brasserie Chez Hansi · 4.3 · 1273+ reviews
Tarte flambée, choucroute garnie and Alsatian wines in the Old Town.
Daily 11:30am - 10:00pm
Le Fer Rouge · 4.2 · 500+ reviews
Refined Alsatian cuisine in a 16th-century half-timbered townhouse.
Daily 12:00pm - 2:30pm · 7:00pm - 10:30pm
Wistub de la Petite Venise · 4.3 · 1099+ reviews
Canal-side winstub in Petite Venise — classic Alsatian cooking by the water.
Monday - Tuesday 7:00pm - 10:00pm · Thursday - Sunday 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Closed Wednesday
Dining Areas
Riquewihr
Local Tastes
Tarte Flambée
The emblematic Alsatian dish — thin unleavened dough spread with crème fraîche, sliced onions and smoked lardons, baked in a wood-fired oven. Light, crisp and gone in minutes. Order it at any winstub.
Choucroute Garnie
Braised sauerkraut piled with various pork cuts — sausages, knuckle, lard, ham — and boiled potatoes. A dish made for cold Alsatian winters; the definitive regional main course.
Alsatian Wine
Colmar sits at the heart of the Alsace wine route. Local varieties — Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat — grown on slopes immediately west of the city. Order by the glass in any winstub.
Kougelhopf
The domed Alsatian yeast cake baked in a fluted ring mould — enriched with eggs and butter, studded with raisins and almonds. Found in every bakery window. A sweet version with kirsch is traditional; a savoury version with bacon exists too.
Munster Cheese
Pungent washed-rind cheese from the Munster valley in the Vosges, barely 30 km west. Soft and creamy when young; intensely aromatic when aged. Buy it from producers at the Saturday market.
Food Delivery
Uber Eats
Foreign number: accepted. — Uber Eats uses the same Uber account; a foreign number works as long as it can receive texts.
Delivers across central Colmar and the surrounding neighborhoods; good selection of Alsatian restaurants, brasseries, and casual spots; the most consistent coverage of the three platforms in this market.
Deliveroo
Foreign number: not required. — sign-up runs on Google, Apple, Facebook or email with no phone field at all, so no verification code has to arrive.
Covers the old town and main residential areas; smaller restaurant roster than Uber Eats in Colmar but includes some independent Alsatian spots not on the other platforms; check both for your specific address.
Just Eat
Foreign number: not required. — the account is made with Google, Facebook or an email address — there is no phone field, so no code has to arrive.
Available in Colmar with a mix of local and chain restaurants; good fallback if Uber Eats and Deliveroo have limited availability for your area or your chosen time.
Getting Around
Uber
Foreign number: accepted. — Uber sends the verification SMS to your number; a foreign SIM works as long as it can receive texts.
Available in Colmar but supply is limited for a city this size; reliable for trips between the old town, the train station, and hotel areas; expect longer waits in the evenings — the tram line covers much of the central route during the day.
Train Stations Near Hotel
Gare de Colmar
TER regional trains · Strasbourg 30 min · Basel SBB 30 min · Mulhouse 15 min.
Day Trips by Train
Mulhouse · 15 min
Home to the Cité de l'Automobile — the world's largest collection of historic cars, including royal carriages and Formula One machines. Also the Cité du Train railway museum. Unmissable for enthusiasts; direct TER service.
book at: SNCF Connect or Omio
Sélestat · 15 min
An Alsatian market town with one of the great Renaissance libraries in Europe — the Bibliothèque Humaniste holds the first chart to name America and a 1507 Waldseemüller globe. The walled old town is unhurried and largely uncommercialized. Direct TER.
book at: SNCF Connect or Omio
Strasbourg · 30 min
Alsace's capital and seat of the European Parliament — the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame, the half-timbered Petite France district and one of the great urban waterfronts in France. Direct TER service.
book at: SNCF Connect or Omio
Basel · Switzerland · 30 min
A world-class museum city on the Rhine — the Kunstmuseum, the Fondation Beyeler and Art Basel's permanent home. The medieval Altstadt sits above the river; the city straddles three countries. Direct TER to Basel SBB.
book at: SNCF Connect or Omio
Obernai · 45 min
One of Alsace's best-preserved walled towns — the Kapellturm tower, the sixteenth-century market hall, and the covered well on Place du Marché. Quieter and less visited than Colmar itself. TER via Sélestat and Barr.
book at: SNCF Connect or Omio
Michelin Restaurants
JY'S
Inventive contemporary cuisine rooted in Alsatian produce.
Restaurant Girardin
Refined gastronomic cooking in the landmark Maison des Têtes.
L'Atelier du Peintre
Contemporary French cooking — precise, seasonal and personal.
Worth Knowing
The Hospital Painting and the Artist Who Arrived Too Late
The Isenheim Altarpiece was commissioned not for a church but for a hospital chapel run by the Antonite monks, who treated a disfiguring skin disease called St Anthony's Fire — ergotism, caused by a fungus in contaminated grain. Matthias Grünewald painted Christ's body literally covered in the disease's characteristic pustules and sores. The intention was clinical as much as devotional: patients in extremity would look at the altarpiece and see their suffering accurately mirrored in the Passion. The painting was a form of therapy. It remains, five hundred years later, one of the most viscerally powerful works in Western art, and it has never left Colmar.
In the Dominican Church a few streets away hangs Martin Schongauer's Virgin in the Rose Bower, 1473 — a small panel painting of extraordinary refinement, one of the finest works of the northern Renaissance. When Michelangelo was still a teenager, he reportedly made the journey to Colmar specifically to study under Schongauer. He arrived to find him recently dead. Schongauer's influence reached Michelangelo anyway — through the city's works and through Schongauer's brother in Basel — but the detail of the missed encounter lingers. Colmar was once a place that artists traveled toward. Considering what remains, it is not hard to see why.
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