Is it possible that every area of France is absolutely beautiful? I think so. I am absolutely in love with France. The Alsace region was an area I hadn’t explored until recently. After visiting Strasbourg and Colmar, it’s yet another area of France that I’m eager to explore further. We only had 24 hours in Colmar but as it’s only a small village we managed to still see and eat a lot. So here’s how to spend one day in Colmar France…
One Day In Colmar Itinerary
Morning
Wander around the covered markets (Marche Couvert) and let yourself be tempted by all the delicious cheese, fruits, wines, pastries and food. I have to admit the covered market was smaller than I envisioned but it still had a nice variety and the smaller size gave it a more local feel.
Grab some breakfast here or get a pain au chocolat from Boulangerie L’artisane around the corner. You could also try some local specialities like the bretzel or kugelhopf.
If you’re after something fresh and some lovely service then definitely try 100% Le Bar a Jus. I had the strawberry, banana and orange smoothie and it was delicious.
By walking around Colmar Old Town you will inevitably see most of the sights in Colmar. Here are the areas and sights of Colmar to look out for:
- Quartier de la Krutenau or Little Venice
- Place de la Cathédrale
- Eglise des Dominicains
- Eglise Saint Martin
- Koïfhus (Old Customs House)
- The Tanners Quarter (an area where the tanners worked and lived)
- Quai de la Poissonnerie (an area where most of the fishermen and boatman lived)
- Grand’Rue de Colmar
- Pfister House (built in 1537)
- La Maison des Têtes (the ‘house of heads’ was built in 1609 for a shoekeeper and has 106 heads decorating the facade) and
- Musée Unterlinden.
Afternoon
After walking around the cute streets of Colmar and seeing some of the sights, it’s time for lunch. We opted for a casual lunch and had delicious Puccia and Bruschetta from L’atelier des Saveurs. But there are plenty of restaurants to choose from if you want to sit down and relax. Some that we loved the look of and come well reviewed include L’Atelier du Peintre, Sezanne, La Fleur de Sel, Le Petit Bidon and L’arpege.
Explore more of the sights and beautiful streets, make sure to make time for a sweet or ice cream. We love the citron vert basilica sorbet from Patisserie Jean by Thierry Mulhaupt and the macarons from Patisserie Gilg.
After a beautiful cool summery morning, we had to take refuge in a shop window from the momentary rain. Another French lady had the same idea. I love how friendly everyone is. After speaking to us in French and soon realising we don’t speak the language she persisted in trying to communicate and use some English words, us trying to use some French words and somehow we had a lovely conversation, where it wasn’t so much about what we were saying to each other, but that we were trying to say something, no matter how challenging.
We’ve had so many moments like this in Colmar and whilst travelling, I’m always so grateful for these moments. And it always motivates me to learn more French and other languages for that matter. It’s so important to make an effort to communicate with people whose country you’re visiting.
Evening
The perfect thing about staying in Colmar overnight is that you get to experience Colmar without the day-trippers. The streets are quiet and calm, with an energy coming from each restaurant you walk past. The light is perfect for capturing those beautiful Colmar shots without all the people.
We had a delicious dinner at La Soi, which really only does one thing but does it very well, Tarte Flambée. Make sure to book in advance as they only have a few tables. Such a cosy friendly place. There are so many delicious flavours of Tarte Flambe but it’s hard to beat the Traditionelle or the Munster (Munster is a local cheese). Over dinner, try one of the local wines, Gewurztraminer or Reisling.
Printable Colmar Map
Get your printable Colmar Map to take with you, which has all the details of our one day in Colmar Itinerary.
Things To Know Before Going To Colmar
Is Colmar Worth Visiting?
Spending one day in Colmar was amazing. The colourful buildings that look like they’re straight from a fairytale and the friendliest people who are more than happy to have a chat are some of my favourite memories.
We stayed overnight and this gave us a period of time in the evening and early morning when there were much fewer people around, which was so nice. So we would highly recommend spending at least one night and one day in Colmar, but if you are short on time or based elsewhere, then a Colmar day trip is still a great idea.
Colmar or Strasbourg?
If you have the time, definitely see both Colmar and Strasbourg as they are completely different to each other. But if you’re short on time and can only pick one, it really depends on what you’re looking for.
Strasbourg has more of a small city vibe, takes longer to walk around and see the different neighbourhoods and sights. Colmar is quite small and can be easily walked around in a day and has a magical village vibe. We loved them both.
Read more: A Guide To Strasbourg: Eat, Do, See, Stay + Essentials
How To Get To Colmar
One of the best ways to reach Colmar is by train. Colmar can be reached from Strasbourg on a 30-minute train. Paris to Colmar is about 2 hours 20 minutes so a Paris to Colmar day trip is possible, although I’d highly recommend staying a night.
Due to Colmars location, it can also easily be reached from areas of Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France by train. We love using Trainline to book our Europe train tickets.
You can, of course, hire a car and drive to Colmar, which is a great option if you are wanting to explore the Alsace region.
Where To Stay In Colmar
Our picks for the best hotels in Colmar…
La Maison de Têtes – luxury hotel in a historic building in the city centre (check prices and reviews)
Hotel Le Colombier Suites – a boutique hotel in the La Petite Venice area (check prices and reviews)
James Boutique Hotel – 4-star hotel in Colmar with parking available (check prices and reviews)
Villa Elyane – rooms in a historic villa built in 1920, near the train station (check prices and reviews)
Pierre & Vacances La Petite Venise – aparthotel a short walk from Little Venice and the train station (check prices and reviews)
For more information, visit Colmar Tourisme.
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