Best Things To Do In Colmar In One Day, France

Colmar, Alsace, is one of the most quaint cities in France and a must-see city if you visit France. Located in Alsace, close to the border of Germany, it is a prime town famous for its timbered houses, Bretzel, wine and, in winter, its vibrant Christmas Market.

If you’re planning on visiting Colmar, here are the best things to do in Colmar and everything you need to know before visiting Colmar.

Colmar is a great destination all year round! It’s a must-add to your France bucket list if you’re looking for all the best cities in France to visit. It is also very close to Germany and Switzerland if you want to plan a road trip across those countries.

Colmar is a top-rated destination in France, so to make sure you plan the best trip possible, here are all the travel tips you need to know to ensure your vacation in Colmar is a success!

Spending one day in Colmar (even if it’s a Paris to Colmar day trip) is trendy during the Christmas season as Colmar, like Strasbourg, has a fantastic Christmas Market, and the whole town gets a Christmas makeover!

Best Things To Do In Colmar: One of France’s Most Beautiful Towns

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I have always heard about Colmar as the Alsace Region is popular in France; it’s one of the French regions you want to check out if you want to visit more of France.

I visited Colmar for the first time in the Summer when I went to Europapark; Colmar is an excellent base if you plan to stay a couple of days and explore more of Alsace by car. Doing a mix between Europark and Colmar with a day trip to one of the popular villages around Colmar has worked wonderfully.

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You can also take trains and buses to explore the different villages and towns of the regions, but their timetables can be a little more challenging.

Another worthy thing to note is that Colmar and the villages are on the “Route Des Vins” (wine road). If you’re a wine amateur, then it’s something you want to look into!

How To Get To Colmar

Getting to Colmar is pretty easy. There are quite a few ways to reach Colmar.

You can reach Colmar by car, which is great because if you have a car, you can visit many quaint villages in Alsace. Many of them have been elected the best villages in France, so you wouldn’t want to miss that.

Colmar By Train

Colmar is an accessible destination.

You can book train tickets here. You can also download the SNCF Connect app to access all the timetables and keys.

Paris To Colmar

Colmar is easily accessible from Paris, and the journey takes around two hours and a half on average, depending on what train you take.

You can find a lot of direct trains to Colmar with TGV Inoui.

Strasbourg To Colmar

So, how far is Strasbourg from Colmar?

Colmar is a very popular day trip from Strasbourg; it takes, on average, a mere 31 minutes to reach Colmar. Several trains (TER) cover the Strasbourg-Colmar route daily.

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What Is Colmar Best Known For?

Colmar is best known for its Christmas Markets, beautiful landmarks, and architecture (think colourful half-timbered houses), with an exceptionally well-preserved Old Town and the Unterlinden Museum, where you can admire the “Isenheim Altarpiece.”

Colmar is also famous for being the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, who made the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Colmar, in winter, is also famous for the beautiful Christmas Markets and the magical atmosphere that swoons over the city, so if you’re also wondering if Colmar is worth visiting, yes, 100%, and at any time of the year!

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You can also do some amazing Alsatian wine tasting in Colmar & Alsace. I am not much into wine, but here are some top-reviewed wine tours on getyourguide.

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Is One Day In Colmar Enough?

Don’t worry if you only have one day in Colmar. You’ll still be able to cover most of the best things to do in Colmar and soak in the atmosphere of the city; most of the landmarks and best things to do in Colmar are from a walkable distance from one another, so you can easily cover most of the city on foot.

Colmar can be a great day trip from Strasbourg and vice versa. It is also doable to do Strasbourg and Colmar in one day, but you’ll definitely feel rushed.

However, if you want to explore the city more leisurely, I recommend staying overnight instead of doing Colmar in one day.

Things to DO near Colmar

There are plenty of adorable villages scattered all around Colmar. For example, Eguisheim is one of them, I wrote a travel guide on Eguisheim; check it out!

You can take day trips from Colmar by train or by bus. Here is a list of the place you can visit from Colmar:

• Strasbourg
• Riquewihr
• Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg
• Eguisheim

If you can travel to Alsace by car, I would recommend it; it’s easier to move around.

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Best Things To Do In Colmar In One Day

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Colmar is relatively small; walking from one landmark to another is effortless, so you won’t need to take public transportation and can explore the city on foot for the day.

Plus, it is delightful to soak in the beauty and charm of this French town.

Unterlinden Museum

This museum, housed in a 13th-century sisters’ convent, is a must-see when you visit Colmar and Alsace; it is the most visited museum in this region of France.

As mentioned above, the Unterlinden Museum is the most famous in Colmar. It houses the Isenheim Altarpiece, and people worldwide have come to admire this beautiful painting.

However, this is not the only thing that makes the Unterlinden Museum famous; the architecture of the place makes it a beautiful landmark of Colmar with its beautiful cloister garden.

Unterlinden Museum is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Colmar.

Opening hours: 9 AM-6 PM
Closed on Tuesday.

Koïfhus (Ancienne Douane)

Opened in 1480, « Le Koifhus », also known as « Ancienne Douane », is a Gothic-Renaissance building and has been classified as a « Monument Historique » since 1930.

Now a restaurant and a place for exhibits and fairs, “Le Koifhus” was a warehouse and a site for meeting back in the day. It served many purposes from office to theatre until today.

It is a beautiful building to view and take photos of in Colmar.

Old Town Of Colmar

The old town of Colmar is full of charm, and you need to check out the old town part when you visit Colmar.

You can find some famous places there, such as “la Maison des Têtes”, “la Maison Pfister”, and “le Koïfhus”, which makes the old town of Colmar one of the main points of interest in the city.

Soaking in the charm of the Old Town, where many Colmar landmarks are located, is one of Colmar’s best things to do.

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Make sure to plan and book your activities in Colmar and Alsace.

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La Petite Venise

Many cities worldwide have their own “Little Venise”; Colmar and its Petite Venise are no exception.

“La Petite Venise” of Colmar is a must-see when you visit the city. It gives you this feeling that is straight out a fairy tale.

Take A Boat Ride

Of course, I couldn’t talk about “La petite Venise de Colmar” without including a boat ride as one of the best things to do in Colmar; it is a fantastic way to enjoy the city from a different perspective and a pleasant activity.

The boat rides in Colmar are popular, so the tickets sell out very fast, make sure to book your ticket as soon as possible to not miss out on this pleasant activity.

Boat rides are a viral activity in Colmar; this way, you can enjoy the city’s architecture from a different point of view.

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You can also pre-book some of the best activities to do in Colmar to make sure your day is planned as preparation is often the key when you plan out a day trip. You want to make the most of your destinations, especially when it’s such a popular destination as Colmar.

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Quartier Des Tanneur

Located in the city’s heart, this neighbourhood comprises many half-timbered houses dating from the XVIIth & XVIIIth century.

“Tanneurs” means “Tanners” in English.

Back in the day, this part of Colmar was inhabited by families of tanners who used to dry their skins on the last floor of their houses.

Between 1968 and 1974, this place got a makeover and is full of charming restaurants to enjoy lunch or dinner and your day trip to Colmar.

Quai De La poissonerie

The fishmonger’s district in Colmar, you can easily guess by its name that this place used to be where fishermen and boatmen lived back in the day. They would store their fish there and sell them.

However, in 1706 a massive fire destroyed more than forty houses in the district, and important renovation work had to be done to restore most of those timbered houses.

It is now a hotspot to check out when you visit Colmar. It is quite a quaint district, and you can find several shops to bring souvenirs home.

Colmar Christmas Markets (Colmar in Winter)

Visiting Colmar during the Christmas holiday means that you’ll get to see the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.

Colmar is a trendy destination during Christmas as the whole city gets decorated for Christmas for the joy of both adults and kids. It’s the perfect winter getaway to experience some Christmas magic.

This year the Christmas markets in Colmar will be held from the 25th of November to the 29th of December 2022. I recommend visiting Colmar during those dates if you plan a winter getaway.

In total they are 5 Christmas Markets held across the city:

• Marché de Noël Place Jeanne d’Arc
• Marché de Noël Place de l’ancienne Douanne
• Marché de Noël Place des Dominicains
• Marché Intérieur du Koifhus
• Marché de Noël des Enfants

“Marché de Noël” means “Christmas Markets in French!

I have a post on how to spend Christmas in Paris in Paris if you’d like to know more about the French traditions around Christmas. This will help if you plan to visit Paris or France during Christmas.

Things to do in Colmar at Christmas:

• Visit all the Christmas markets
• Stroll Along La Petite Venise
• Check out the
• Stroll through Parc du Champs de Mars
• Go Ice Skate On the Christmas Ice Rink At Place Rapp

Check Out The Places That Inspired Some Scenes from “Howl’s Moving Castle”

Did you know that Colmar inspired some scenes from Howl’s Moving Castle? If you’re visiting Colmar, you can check out all the spots you find in the movies inside the town; it’s like being inside the movie!

Colmar was the inspiration for making Sophie’s hometown.

Here are the spots in Colmar you can see in the movie:

• Pfister House
• Le Koïfhus

The whole city feels like it is straight out of a fairy tale, so it’s no wonder it inspired such a cute movie.

Most of those are Colmar’s best things to do and see; I already wrote about them above! It’s a remarkable fun fact about Colmar, and if you haven’t seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it!

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That concludes my guide on the best things to do in Colmar; I loved the vibe of Colmar; it’s one city I would love to visit again and explore more of Alsace in general as they are so many quaint towns and villages around to check out.

If you are looking for a town with a fairy tale vibe in Europe, then you should add Colmar to your bucket list, and that’s worth it for most of Alsace’s villages, to be honest.

I hope this Colmar travel guide will help you to plan a perfect trip and enjoy Colmar to the fullest!

Also, follow me on Instagram to check out my travel adventures around Europe and more lifestyle content @cpt_lyne!

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Best things to do in Colmar in one day, France

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✈ Best Travel Ressources To Plan Your Next Trip

✈ How To Find Flights?

– Skyscanner; it is a good comparator for finding the cheapest flights.
– Google Flight is also a good help when it comes to comparing flights.

✈ Where To Book Accommodations?

– Booking.com: plenty of options and ways to get discount the more you book.

✈ Best Sites To Book Activities

My go-to website when I need to book an activity is GetYourGuide when I can’t get a ticket directly on the website or if it’s easier to go through them.

– Klook if you need to book more than just activities and would like to get everything from the same website—(i.e. transport cards, car rental, hotel…).

✈ Other helpful travel resources

– Radical Storage: If you need a place to keep your luggage for an extended period when you travel, I recommend using them. It was a great help when we needed a place to keep our luggage safely while we left the city for a few days.
– TheTrainline: If you love to travel by train like me, then TheTrainline needs to be your go-to website for train travel in Europe. It is very reliant and easy to use.

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