Colmar – a gem

Colmar is an irresistible concentration of medieval charm and culture. The third largest city in Alsace, it is comparable in size with Basel, which is only an hour away. But Colmar, with a history reaching back to 823, is also considered the capital of Alsatian wine. You need only visit one of the city’s innumerable “Winstub”, the traditional and stylish wine bars, to see why. What could be more enticing for an after-dinner stroll than the Petite Venise, an area with picturesque half-timbered houses crowding the banks of the little stream known as the Lauch? What really draws people to Colmar, though, are its museums and churches. At the Old Town’s northern edge is the former Dominican Monastery of St. John’s, nowadays the Unterlinden Museum. In the chapel stands Matthias Grünewald’s worldfamous Isenheim Altarpiece in all its glory. The Dominican Church, built in 1283, is now a museum housing Martin Schongauer’s “Madonna in the Rose Garden”. Colmar’s most important church is St. Martin’s with its invaluable stained glass windows. Visitors will not want to miss the Bartholdi Museum, dedicated to the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty in New York.

In the pre-Christmas season, Colmar welcomes its guests with richly decorated and brightly lit streets – a magical atmosphere. Five Christmas markets spread for kilometres through the city: from Place des Dominicains to the Petite Venise and the Koifhus quarter.

If you have any questions or would like to make a reservation, Cristina Bally and her team would be pleased to assist you.