Ah, Bienvenue à Colmar! 🍁
During my last business trip to France, I decided to treat myself to a week-long holiday after a long project. The original plan was Paris, then Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands before heading back to Lille for work. But as fate would have it, one beautiful day while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon Colmar. I immediately added it to my bucket list and thus began my love affair with "Little Venice" 😉.
Discovering Colmar
Colmar is nestled in northeastern France, a charming town in the Alsace region – the 3rd largest in the area and located on the famous Route du Vin (wine route). This route encompasses key cities like Strasbourg, Colmar, Eguisheim, and Riquewihr. A visit to Colmar isn't complete without exploring Petite Venise – Little Venice. Just as the name suggests, Petite Venise is a compact area nestled between Marché couvert, Quai de la Poissonnerie, and reaching Saint-Pierre street. Within this district are small canals and even smaller houses, and I – a small, cute boy – found myself lost in this fairytale village .
Getting There:
- Budget-Friendly Bus: From Paris, you can take an overnight bus with FLIXBUS or ISILINES for around €22-€25 (check goeuro.com). The journey takes approximately 8 hours.
- Speedy TGV Train: A faster but pricier option is the TGV train, which gets you to Colmar in about 2.5 hours.
I chose the TGV. If I have to choose between saving money and saving time, I choose to save time! It's less tiring and allows more time to explore. Speaking of which, I have a comical story that taught me a valuable travel lesson. I booked a TGV ticket with OUIGO more than a week in advance for only €39. OUIGO only has one daily trip to Colmar departing from Gare de l'Est at 9:25 AM. The day before, I spent the day exploring Paris. I was so tired that I didn't bother to double-check my ticket, thinking my train departed at 11:00 AM. I arrived late at the station and had to buy a last-minute ticket for €105! Ouch! This made my Colmar trip even more precious, almost as expensive as a week-long trip to Thailand!
Where to Stay:
I arrived in Colmar at 7:30 PM, checked into my hotel, and rested up for an evening exploring Colmar by night. Hotels in central Colmar are quite expensive, so I chose Brit Hotel Primo Colmar Centre, which was close to both the train station and the city center for €56 per night/person. I was tired from walking around Paris the day before, so I unpacked, showered, and took a nap to recharge before hitting the streets :)
Food & Fun:
Colmar is truly romantic at night. Colorful lights illuminate restaurants along the canals, reflecting on the water where swans glide by. The small streets are lined with colorful houses. While strolling around Colmar, I stumbled upon a wine bar inside an old building. The friendly, beautiful French waitress poured me a glass of Rosé d'Alsace 2017. Enjoying a glass of wine by the La Lauch river in the chilly air felt so warm and happy. The wine here is incredibly delicious! Later, my colleagues in Lille told me that white wine is a specialty of the Colmar region. After soaking in the Colmar night air, I headed back to my hotel. I was also hungry and discovered a kebab shop, which seemed like a traditional family eatery. After a recommendation from the friendly owner, I ordered a Tacos kebab for €4.5. It was well worth the money – huge and delicious! I was very satisfied with my evening :)
Just breathing in the morning air in Colmar is enough to fill you up! While wandering around, I found a cute little pastry and chocolate shop and decided to have breakfast there. I had a Croissant and a Bretzels - a local specialty. I didn't enjoy the bretzels much since it was extremely salty, with the distinct taste of sea salt making me very thirsty :)). Colmar is also known for Choucroute, but I didn't know about it at the time. When I returned to France, my colleagues recommended buying canned versions from the supermarket to try back in Vietnam. Next time!
I continued wandering through the small streets, taking photos and waiting for the Marché couvert farmers market to open at 10 AM. The Marché Couvert was built between 1863-1865 by architect Louis-Michel Boltz and is open from 10 AM. Located near Petite Venise, it sells all kinds of fruits, vegetables, canned goods, and locally produced wines. Seeing the Mint, Basel, and the small, beautiful red tomatoes and beets ignited my passion for cooking. I was tempted to buy them, but I couldn't since I didn't have a kitchen. However, I did buy some delicious and cheap fresh milk for only €1.5 per liter!
Colmar is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France, located about 64 km southwest of Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace. Colmar is famous for its Christmas market during the Noel season. They sell Christmas items year-round inside shops. However, I visited in the summer and didn't experience the Christmas atmosphere.
In Colmar, you'll see houses mainly constructed from wood and well-maintained with uniform square windows. Each house has a different color, making Colmar even more charming.
Colmar has two distinct symbols: First, the Stork. In Western culture, storks symbolize luck and prosperity. They are also believed to deliver newborn babies to parents. If you've watched the movie "Storks," you'll understand this tradition better. Second, Mr. Bartholdi: Remember the Statue of Liberty in New York, gifted by France? Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a resident of Colmar, was the sculptor who created this masterpiece. A small museum dedicated to him displays images and items related to his work and life. A small replica of the Statue of Liberty is placed on the highway leading into Colmar. Within the town, many construction sites feature his statue, and there's even a street named after him.
Colmar is small. You can explore the whole town in just one day, but I chose to stay for 2 days and 1 night to fully enjoy Colmar's nightlife.
Yeahhh. A truly perfect and meaningful destination in my life. If I have the chance, I'll visit again during Noel to experience the full Christmas atmosphere. 😘
Book your Colmar hotel here: Colmar Hotels on Booking.com
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