Our next stop through in the Alsace region was to the beautiful city of Colmar.
Colmar has an impressively long history where the first mention of the city was in 884 by Charlemagne as he was writing about the Saxon Wars. In 1226 it was granted the status of a Free Imperial City by Emperor Fredrick II. It was taken over by the Swedish army for a few years beginning in 1632. It was annexed into the German Empire in 1871. And with the end of WWI, was rejoined as part of France.
Colmar has seen its share of history and ownership over the centuries and has retained the beautiful influences collected along the way.
We walked through the city center park and loved the addition of glittery balls hanging from the trees and the white branch trees lining the path. Next to the park was a small Christmas market. Where Strasbourg had been filled to bursting with visitors, our day in Colmar was marked by far fewer people allowing us the space to more appreciate the area.
This market had a few places to eat and a few rides for anyone to enjoy. So while our daughter rode every ride, we happily watched her with warm food and drink in hand.
The city center is just a short walk into the beautiful historic old town. Colorful half timber buildings fill the narrow streets. Colmar was mostly spared any destruction throughout its long history. For as long as the city has been here, all the buildings are remarkably well preserved. Because of the centuries of being back and forth between France and Germany, Colmar displays a beautiful mix of architectural styles and materials.
One of the most popular landmarks in Colmar’s old town is the Maison Pfister. Built in 1537 it is an incredible example of the German Renaissance in its details. Visitors can tour this beautiful building on selected days. If you have ever watched the movie Howl’s Moving Castle, the Maison Pfister makes a noticeable appearance in the movie.
Colmar is a great mix of styles and time periods, but it also has a great mix of decorations and markets for the holiday season. The decorations were not over the top, but more small additions to the already beautiful buildings that just seem perfectly made to highlight that architectural beauty. We loved the little touches around windows and the ladders across the water with gnomes and flourishes across them. The whole effect was beautiful and festive without being overwhelming.
We stopped in to the local market and loved walking through and seeing all the local food. I love shopping experiences like this and the relationships people make with vendors over fresh food.
While the idea of grocery shopping 2 or 3 times a week does not really appeal to me, grocery shopping like this absolutely appeals to me. Maybe I would like shopping more, and by extension making dinner more, with an inside market such as this one.
Just outside the city market is the area known as Little Venice as the beautiful buildings follow the gentle flow of the river. There is no question why this is such a favorite part of the city as it is absolutely lovely. The city’s looming feris wheel is set up giving beautiful views across the city.
Rows and rows of red locks are attached along the walkway next to the water. Couples can follow tradition and purchase a lock to write their name on, attach it along with the others, and throw away the key symbolizing a love and commitment that will last as long as the lock.
There are many Christmas markets set up around the city, but the one that we loved the most was the children’s market. Not just because we had our daughter with us who thought the whole set up was magic, but also because it seemed that it was here that so many local crafts and gifts were being sold. Our daughter loved the ride through the Christmas trees on a galloping horse and the teddy bears tucked into the trees. And we loved the shops, the food, and the pure joy of watching her.
We took one last walk down through the Little Venice area loving the slower pace and small crowds. Our day in Colmar was during the week, the weekend we were sure would be far more crowded. We fell head over heels in love with Colmar think that it may be the most beautiful city we’ve ever visited. As evening came, we decided to go back one more time to the children’s area to enjoy the lights, music, and one more gallop on a mechanical horse.
For other cities with beautiful architecture and rivers, then you may be interested in these:
Thanks for coming along on this visit to Colmar. May your heart be filled with the simple joys and simple beauty of the season.
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