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Ah, Bienvenue à Colmar! 🍁 My Fairytale in Little Venice
During my last business trip to France, I decided to treat myself to a week-long holiday after a long project. Honestly, the original plan was Paris, then Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and finally back to Lille for work. But fate had other plans! One beautiful day, while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon Colmar. It immediately shot to the top of my bucket list, and that's where my love affair with this "Little Venice" began! 😉 Colmar is nestled in the northeastern part of France, a town in the Alsace region – the third largest in the area, and situated on the famous Route du Vin (Wine Route). This scenic route boasts gems like Strasbourg, Colmar, Eguisheim, and Riquewihr. And when you're in Colmar, Petite Venise is an absolute must-see. Just as its name suggests, Petite Venise is a charming little area nestled between Marché Couvert, Quai de la Poissonnerie, and Saint-Pierre Street. It's a world of tiny canals, little houses, and me – a happy traveler – lost in this fairytale village!
Getting There: Your Colmar Adventure Awaits!
- Budget Traveler? You can reach Colmar from Paris in several ways. For the budget-conscious, Flixbus or ISILINES offer overnight bus trips for around €22 to €25 (check goeuro.com). It takes about 8 hours.
- Speed Demon? TGV trains are pricier but will whisk you to Colmar in just 2.5 hours.
I opted for the TGV because, for me, saving time is worth more! It's much more comfortable and gives me more time to explore. Speaking of which, let me tell you a silly (but valuable) lesson I learned! I booked a TGV ticket with OUIGO more than a week in advance for only €39. OUIGO had only one daily trip to Colmar departing from Gare de l'Est at 9:25 AM. The day before, I was out exploring Paris and was so tired that I didn't bother to double-check my ticket. I was *sure* the train left at 11 AM. You guessed it – I arrived late! I had to buy a last-minute ticket for a painful €105! That definitely made my trip to Colmar more... memorable. Let's just say the cost of getting to Colmar could have paid for a week-long adventure in Thailand!
Where to Stay: Your Colmar Home Base
I arrived in Colmar at 7:30 PM and headed straight to my hotel to check in and unwind before exploring Colmar by night. Hotels in the city center can be pricey. I chose Brit Hotel Primo Colmar Centre because it was close to both the train station and the city center, costing €56 per night for one person. I was exhausted from walking all day in Paris, so I unpacked, took a shower, and took a nap to recharge for my evening adventure. :)
Eating & Exploring: Colmar's Delights!
Colmar at night is pure romance. The colorful lights, the restaurants alongside the canals shimmering on the water with swans gliding by, and the little streets with their colorful houses. Strolling around Colmar, I stumbled upon a wine bar inside an old building. A charming French waitress poured me a glass of Rosé d'Alsace 2017. Sipping wine by the La Lauch River in the cool night air was pure bliss. Seriously, the wine here is incredible! Later, my colleagues in Lille told me that white wine is the local specialty of Colmar. After breathing in the Colmar night air, I headed back to the hotel. I was a bit hungry and discovered a Kebab shop, the kind I imagine is a family-run business. The friendly owner recommended the Tacos kebab for €4.5. It was huge, delicious, and totally worth it. I went to bed with a happy stomach. :) Just breathing in the fresh morning air in Colmar is satisfying. While walking, I discovered a charming little bakery and decided to have breakfast there. I had a croissant and a Bretzels – another local specialty. I didn't love the Bretzels, though, because they were incredibly salty, like sea salt. I was so thirsty! :)) Colmar is also famous for Choucroute, but I didn't know about it at the time. When I got back to France, my colleagues told me about it and suggested I buy canned Choucroute in the supermarket to try when I got home. Next time! I continued to wander through the little streets, taking pictures and waiting for the Marché Couvert (covered market) to open at 10 AM. The Marché Couvert, built between 1863 and 1865 by architect Louis-Michel Boltz, sells all kinds of fruits, vegetables, canned goods, and locally-produced wines. Seeing the fresh mint, basil, plump red tomatoes, and tiny beets made me want to cook! But sadly, I didn't have a kitchen to cook in. :( Luckily, I bought some incredibly delicious and cheap fresh milk, only €1.5 per liter if I remember correctly. Colmar is known as one of the most beautiful villages in France, located about 64 km southwest of Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region. Colmar is famous for its Christmas markets during the holiday season. But in reality, they sell Christmas items year-round in the shops. It is not quite as festive as at Christmas, though. I visited during the summer, so I missed the Christmas atmosphere. If you visit Colmar, you'll notice that the houses are mainly built from wood and are well-maintained. Each house has square windows and is painted a different color, making Colmar even more charming. Colmar has two distinct symbols: First, the stork: In Western culture, storks symbolize good luck and prosperity, and they bring newborn babies to their parents. If you've seen the movie "Storks," you'll understand this better. Second, Auguste Bartholdi: Remember that the Statue of Liberty in New York City was a gift from France? Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a Colmar resident, was the sculptor who created the statue. There is a small museum dedicated to him, displaying images and objects from his work and life. A small replica of the Statue of Liberty is placed on the highway leading into Colmar. There are statues of him in several locations in the town, and a street is named after him. Colmar is small, so you can explore the entire town in one day, but I chose to stay for two days and one night to fully enjoy the Colmar nightlife. Yeahhh. Colmar was a perfect and meaningful destination in my life. If I have the chance, I'll visit during Christmas to fully experience the Christmas atmosphere here. 😘 Find hotels in Colmar France:
Colmar Hotels ```
