Colmar is a city in Alsace with one of the best-preserved historic old town centers in France — half-timbered houses from the 15th and 16th centuries, canals along the Lauch river, and narrow cobblestone streets that look exactly as they do in photographs from the 1930s. The city has around 70,000 inhabitants and functions as a genuine urban center rather than an open-air museum, which means that alongside tourists you will find local cafés, markets, and restaurants where the French actually eat. It is particularly worth visiting in May or June when the facades are covered in flowers, or in December for the Christmas market that draws visitors from across Europe — though in that case, book your accommodation months in advance. Alsatian cuisine and local wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer mean that simply sitting on a square is itself part of the experience.
Register for free and explore Colmar.
