Colmar isn’t a big city but it has plenty of tourists thanks of its beautiful architecture and various foods. There are a lot of things to discover, particularly the different houses with colorful decoration. Each house is unique and awesome. Also, you have several museums to visit. Here is the list of 10 most being visited in Colmar.
1. Unterlinden Museum
It’s located in a former Dominican monastery built in 1252, there are plenty of sculptures and paintings from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The Gothic monastery was built between 1280 and 1289 which is considered to be the most complete monastery in the Alsace region. This museum has a rich collection of cultural features.
It contains one of the masterpieces of Western art ‘Eisenheim altar’: engraved by Nicholas de Agnano in 1510, painted by the Matthias Grunewald from the 1512 to 1516, it is considered as a magnificent world’s art history.
You will also find many archaeological collections, including daily necessities or funeral supplies. The museum’s collection of decorative art has goldsmith treasures and special hunting or war weapons. There are also many art collections in the museum, such as works by major artists such as Monet, Picasso and Dubuffet.
Address：1 Rue des Unterlinden, 68000 Colmar
2. Pfister House
The house was built in 1537 and was built for Ludwig Scherer who has made a fortune in the silver business in Val de Liepvre. Despite of its medieval character, it is the pioneer of the Colmar architectural Renaissance. The Pfister house has two floors of corners, wooden galleries, octagonal turrets and murals depicting the Bible and some living scenes, which has become one of the symbols of the ancient Colmar. The name comes from the family that restored and occupied the house from 1841 to 1892. The exterior walls and roof of the building were restored in 2012.
Address：11 rue des Marchands, 68000 Colmar
3. The Old Town
The old town is full of charm and it’s well preserved. Old Alsatian houses are abound with flowered balconies, their turrets, their oriels and their half-wood frames. Walking around the streets and squares will casually encounter the work of the sculptor Bartholdi, and there are many monuments waiting for you. Koïfhus, Pfister House, St. Martin… and the charming little Venice is near.
Address：Place de la Cathédrale, 68000 Colmar
4. Koïfhus
Koïfhus is at the intersection of Grand’rue and Marchand Street, which are the two main transport routes in the medieval town. It’s built in 1433 and completed in 1480. Several restoration activities were carried out for it, the most recent restoration that is to repair the Renaissance sandstone railings introduced in 1976 is in 2002. Koïfhus is the oldest public building in the area who has a double function that the bottom is the warehouse and taxation of import and export goods and upstairs is the Decapolis representative meeting. Decapolis was founded in 1534 by the ten Alsace Imperial City Federation. The revolution abolished commercial privileges and the building was used for other purposes. It was used as a theatre around 1840 and as the first Escompte office in 1848. Koïfhus was occupied by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Catholic Boys School and an Israeli school from 1870 to 1930. At present, Koïfhus is the venue of events and public activities.
Address：Place de l’ancienne douane, 68000 Colmar
5. Krutenau district
A river is running through Colmar with the beautiful half-timbered house on both sides is called Little Venice. Cross the Lauch Bridge and you will enter the beautiful Krutenau district, where there used to be a market gardener on a punt.
Address：Rue de la Herse, 68000 Colmar
6. Arcades House
The Arcades house is a beautiful Renaissance building with octagonal turret corners on either side.
Address：Grand’Rue, 68000 Colmar
7. Bartholdi Museum
As the birthplace of the Statue of Liberty sculptor, the Colmar Museum retains many of the works of Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), including statues and monumental models. His obsession for freedom has created one of the most beautiful symbols of New York. On the first floor there is a temporary exhibition hall and a long-term exhibition space (there has been the collection of Jewish art since 1993).
Address：30 Rue des Marchands，68000 Colmar
8. House of Heads
It’s built in 1609 and restored in 2012. It was built for the businessman Anton Burger and was designed by architect Albert Schmidt who is the author of the former Protestant Presbyterian Church and is also known as the Knights of St. John. It is a beautiful building of the German Renaissance, with one hundred and sixty odd-shaped heads or masks, decorating a three-floor façade. The gable of the building decorated with scrolls and fins is covered by the statue of Cooper carved by Auguste Bartholdi, and the statue was built in 1898.
Address：19 Rue des Têtes, 68000 Colmar
9. Fisher man’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf is adjacent to the half-timbered fisherman’s houses. You can take a walk along the enchanting riverbank to the St. Peter Bridge in the Krutenau district. It is the best spot to see the old towns of Little Venice and Colmar. What is strongly recommended is that you can also take a boat trip to visit the charming town.
Address：Rue de la Poissonnerie, 68000 Colmar
10. Old–Customs Place
The beautiful Old–Customs Place is named for its 15th-century Koïfhus (old customs). There is a Schwendi fountain in the center with the Bartholdi statue at the top, representing General Schwendi. It is said that it was him who introduced the Tokay grape variety in Alsace.
Address：Place de l’Ancienne-Douane, 68000 Colmar
Besides, there is a museum of toys which could remind you of your childhood, which will be a pleasant experience. We invite you to discover other excellant tourist attractions, some good coffee shops and so on. Don’t hesitate to contact us for sharing your experience.