Colmar is a prosperous city typically Alsatian with a rich culture. Its town centre resembles an open-air museum. Ranked among the most beautiful cities in France, it is therefore only natural that Colmar attracts thousands of tourists in summer and winter who appreciate its architectural unity and its unique cultural life
Little Venice and Unterlinden museum, Alsatian jewels
Colmar's colourful half-timbered houses, some of which seem to be twisting under the weight of a long and tormented history, are undoubtedly one of the symbols of the city. Especially in Little Venice, one of the most pleasant and romantic places in the city. Boat trips, lasting about half an hour, are offered in the neighbourhood. With its Renaissance style buildings and the Unterlinden museum, this is an attractive city that some consider to be the heart of Alsace. After an extension and renovation by the Basel architects Herzog et de Meuron (who designed the Tate Modern in London) a few years ago, the Musée Unterlinden now welcomes you on three separate sites. The former neo-Baroque municipal baths have been converted into a room for conferences, concerts, performances and, of course, private viewings. In the former monastery building, the tour revolves around the beautiful 13th century cloister with, as a grand finale, the famous Issenheim Altarpiece! In the basement of the convent, six rooms are devoted to works from the late Middle Ages (notably Lucas Cranach's Melancholy dated 1532), Gothic and Romanesque art (statues, baptismal fonts, tombstones), archaeology and Alsatian wine cellars (barrels, presses...). We then move from the old part of the museum to its new annex to discover with wonder modern and contemporary collections staged in large volumes of immaculate whiteness. This rich section reveals works by Dubuffet, Poliakoff, Soulages and, as a highlight of the visit, the incredible Guernica tapestry made of wool woven by René and Jacqueline Dürrbach at the request of Picasso. There are only three examples in the world, exhibited at the United Nations headquarters in New York, at the Gunma Museum of Modern Art in Japan and thus at the Unterlinden Museum. So many splendours to be discovered imperatively!
Auguste Bartholdi, the country boy..
Colmar is also the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), the sculptor to whom we owe the Statue of Liberty of New York and the Lion of Belfort. Since 1922, the eponymous museum has been highlighting the life and work of this major French sculptor of the 19th century. The scenography highlights original models of Bartholdi's masterpieces (notably the Lion of Belfort and the Statue of Liberty), as well as other sculptures, drawings, paintings and photographs signed by the artist himself. The paintings and watercolours inspired by the journey that took Auguste Bartholdi to Egypt (in 1856) reveal his freedom-loving side as a traveller. One can also discover many objects related to Bartholdi's contemporaries, thanks to the association of the Friends of the Bartholdi Museum (SAMBA), which regularly enriches the museum's collections. In addition, the museum offers the opportunity to stroll through a superb reconstitution of the Colmarian sculptor's apartment
Other visits not to be missed
In addition to these exceptional museums, you shouldn't miss the imposing collegiate church of Saint-Martin, a major work of Gothic architecture built between 1235 and 1365. The ochre and almost golden tones of the Rouffach sandstone give it a very special luminous intensity that should be admired at dawn or at dusk: the light that comes to play on the sculptures of the Saint-Nicolas portal is then sumptuous. A little anecdote: according to legend, the storks that had taken up residence on the roof of the collegiate church left the city at the time of the German occupation and did not return until the spring of 1945! Then, after having taken a look at another Gothic wonder of the city, the Dominican church, we headed for the Maison Pfister, an emblematic building of the Alsatian city. Built in 1537 on behalf of the hatter Ludwig Scherer, it is the very first example of the architectural Renaissance in Colmar with its two-storey corner oriel, its wooden gallery, its octagonal turret and its murals by Christian Vacksterffer. The latter depict Germanic emperors, evangelists and scenes from Genesis, among others
Then, direction the Maison des Têtes, located just in front of the Hansi Village and its museum dedicated to the famous Alsatian cartoonist Jean-Jacques Waltz. Built in 1609 by the architect Albert Schmidt, it perfectly represents the style of the German Renaissance. The most surprising thing when you look at its facade is undoubtedly the 111 biscornuous heads and masks that adorn it, hence the name given to this unique residence. It evokes the golden age of the merchants and the wealth of the Colmarian merchant bourgeoisie. In 1902, the gable of the building decorated with volutes and fins was surmounted by the statue of a Cooper, the work of Auguste Bartholdi. A thematic choice that owes nothing to chance: at the beginning of the last century, this three-storey building housed the Colmar Wine Exchange! Nowadays, the Maison des Têtes lends its authentic setting to a high-flying hotel-restaurant.
Finally, we can stop at the Koifhus, the oldest building in the city and which today attracts tourists on its beautiful Renaissance staircase to immortalize one of the most beautiful panoramas of the city. An unmissable part of your Alsatian getaway... Camera obligatory!
Smart info
When? You can of course go to Colmar all year round (book in advance for the festivities around Christmas).
Get there. By plane (Strasbourg and EuroAirport airports), by train (TGV to Strasbourg or Colmar, or TER from Strasbourg) or by car (525 km from Paris), everything is possible.
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