Colmar, France, is the capital of the Alsace wine region and was about an hour north of our temporary “home base” in Basel, Switzerland. We decided it would make a great day trip since it’s a quick train ride away. Unfortunately, we went on a Sunday, so many of the businesses were not open.
We arrived in Colmar in the morning and worked our way into the town. Along the way, we happened into an antique car show in the park. Walking into the old town was beneficial to help us understand the town layout, but it is also possible to pick up a little tram at the train station if you want to skip the walk.
Colmar’s charm is that it is one of the few cities that almost completely escaped the ravages of the French Revolution and both World Wars, so many buildings look as they might have centuries ago. The gorgeous half-timbered buildings that line the streets are absolutely charming. It is easy to get so caught up in looking at the structures themselves that you lose yourself in the small lanes.
In the afternoon, we took the tram around the Colmar city center to get an overview and then spent the rest of the day walking around. We grabbed a quick baguette lunch at a bistro and continued walking around and enjoying the city.
On the way back to the train station, we went back to the same park. There was a band playing in the bandstand in the park and we listened to a few songs. Then we walked over to a little food kiosk where Laura was able to order a crepe in French (she took several years of French in college). She was so proud of herself and the crepe was really, really good. The perfect end to a beautiful day in France.
Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.
Murissa
Monday 24th of March 2014
I am trying to decide if I should head to Colmar for a day. I only have about 9 days in Paris - 2 of which are already booked to head to Champagne for a day as well as Versailles. It's such a dreamy looking place but might have to wait until next time.