Many years ago, I passed through Alsace during a trip as a couple across France with my future husband. At that time, I didn’t know how to travel in depth, there weren’t yet extensive websites with which I could plan a “proper” trip to Alsace, and so we ended up skimming through the region’s unique and picturesque towns without dedicating the time and pace they deserved to each one. I even added insult to injury and chose to photograph the colorful towns on black and white film (yes, this was the Kodak Chrome era).
Over the years, flights to Alsace became cheap and convenient thanks to EasyJet flying to Basel, friends returned from the region with spectacular photos and enticing stories, and I began to feel the familiar tingling that indicates the desire to visit it again and this time to take colorful photos….
Colmar – the place where beauty simply never ends
The opportunity arose during A weekend for two in Basel and its surroundings. Good friends who live in Switzerland picked us up on Saturday morning in their car and we sailed leisurely to the landscapes of the Alsace region.
We chose to start with the town. Colmer And then decide where we were going. In fact, Colmar was so impressive and fascinating that we stayed there until the evening and if we could, we would have spent the night there too. We parked in the center of the town, not far from the main square from which a small tourist train departs. We began to wander through the old and well-preserved quarter, which includes an extensive network of pedestrian streets. The pace of progress was particularly slow, and this was because at every moment I stopped to photograph another colorful house decorated with wooden beams, another window with flowering planters or a patterned shutter or perhaps a decorated shop window. Experts claim that no two houses in the town are alike, no wonder I had to take so many photos….
The beauty of the town and its many shops tickled the desire to purchase something... One of us, who is an antiques enthusiast, discovered a wonderful antiques store where he found items he wanted at reasonable prices.
The writer of these lines was actually more enthusiastic about the illustrations of the Alsatian illustrator Hansi and purchased several enamel household items decorated with his illustrations.
Our friend, who was very hungry throughout the trip, could not resist the delicacies, both savory and sweet, that were spread before her eyes at the town's ancient covered food market (Marché de Noël de Colmar-Place de l'Ancienne Douane).
However, her husband decided that in Colmar we would eat the traditional dish typical of the region: 'Tarte flambée', the local version of pizza, probably. crepe, a matzah spread with sour cream and other ingredients and served hot.
Forgive me, lovers of Alsatian cuisine, but the tarte flambe was not exciting at all, on the other hand, the café on the banks of the canal was incredibly lovely, as was the entire area known as 'Little Venice' (la Petite Venise). Wooden bridges crossing canals, on both sides of which are pastel-colored houses.
We continued to wander, take pictures, go in and out of shops until hunger and the need for coffee hit us again. There is no shortage of cafes in Colmar, but somehow we ended up at an organic and healthy cafe. So be it…
After our culinary refueling, we strolled through streets we hadn't yet visited and also through those we had. Colmar is so beautiful that it's tempting to walk around it, and then evening fell and an autumnal atmosphere descended on it. And suddenly, perfectly timed with sunset, we were treated to an amazing sight – thousands of migratory birds (apparently several flocks of swallows) made an evening flight and landed for a night's sleep on a single tree, with a flutter of wings, noise, and bustle. A real 'merry choir'.
We concluded our visit to the city with dinner at a Japanese restaurant, with a taste for more and a desire to visit Colmar again or one of the other towns in Alsace.
Looking for great hotels in Colmar?
I have carefully selected a series of excellent hotels for you that suit every budget. You can find them in the article Hotels in Colmar – recommendations for excellent hotels for every budget.
Looking for more information about Alsace?
Go to the page France – Everything travelers need to know And you will find recommendations there about Colmar and other towns. In the Alsace region.
Perfect!!! So picturesque and special. Although in the pictures it looks similar to each other, I'm sure that in reality it's not like that and the magic is in the air. It must have been an experience to live in a place like this, and moreover, to see one house from the inside. Thank you for the size and especially for the many pictures (: