Colmar packs an outsized punch for a city of 70,000 people. The impeccably preserved medieval old town, half-timbered houses painted in pastels, a canal district nicknamed Little Venice, and world-class art museums make it one of the most visited destinations in Alsace. Every attraction listed below sits within the compact historic centre, you can walk between all of them in a single day. Here are the best things to do in Colmar.
Things to Do in Colmar: Old Town and Canals
La Petite Venise (Little Venice)
The postcard image of Colmar. This stretch of the Lauch River between the Rue Turenne bridge and the Saint-Pierre bridge is lined with 14th to 17th-century half-timbered houses in shades of pink, yellow, blue, and green, their wooden galleries overhanging the water. The name dates from the 19th century when the canal served as the city’s main goods transport route. You can walk the Quai de la Poissonnerie on both sides or take a 25-minute flat-bottomed boat ride (barque) for 8 EUR per adult, departing from the Rue de la Poissonnerie dock from April to October, daily 10am to 6pm. The boat gives you a water-level perspective of the houses and flower boxes that the sidewalk view misses. Arrive before 10am or after 4pm to avoid the longest queues. For more detail, see our Colmar neighborhoods guide.
Quartier des Tanneurs (Tanners’ District)
Just north of Little Venice, this neighbourhood once housed Colmar’s leather tanners who used the Lauch River to wash hides. The tall, narrow half-timbered houses with open attic drying galleries date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The most photogenic spot is the corner of Rue des Tanneurs and Rue de la Poissonnerie, where three brightly painted houses frame the canal. The district is free to explore and connects directly to the Place de l’Ancienne Douane, making it a natural walking loop with Little Venice. Early morning (before 9am) gives you the best light and zero crowds. For more detail, see our where to stay in Colmar.
Place de l’Ancienne Douane (Old Customs Square)
Colmar’s historic commercial heart centres on the Koifhus, a 15th-century customs house with a distinctive glazed tile roof and arcaded ground floor. The square is ringed by restaurants and cafes with outdoor terraces. The Schwendi Fountain in the centre dates from 1898 and depicts Lazarus von Schwendi, a 16th-century imperial general who supposedly brought the Tokay grape to Alsace. The square hosts the city’s Christmas market food court in December. You can enter the Koifhus courtyard for free to see the Renaissance staircase and covered balcony.
Quai de la Poissonnerie (Fishmongers’ Quay)
The stretch of canal between the Tanners’ District and Little Venice runs alongside the Quai de la Poissonnerie, named after the fish market that operated here until the 20th century. It is the most photographed single viewpoint in Colmar, framed by the Saint-Pierre bridge at one end and the half-timbered facades at the other. Local artists set up easels here on summer weekends. The covered market (Marche Couvert) sits at the quay’s southern end, making it a natural stop for lunch.
Things to Do in Colmar: Museums and Art
Musee Unterlinden
Set in a 13th-century Dominican convent with a dramatic modern extension opened in 2015, the Unterlinden is Colmar’s single must-see museum. Its centrepiece is the Isenheim Altarpiece (1512 to 1516) by Matthias Grunewald, a monumental polyptych considered one of the greatest works of German Renaissance art. The collection spans archaeology, medieval sculpture, and modern art including works by Picasso, Monet, and Dubuffet. Admission is 13 EUR for adults, free for under-18s. Open Wednesday to Monday 9am to 6pm (closed Tuesdays). The modern wing’s underground gallery is built around the former municipal baths, an architectural highlight in itself. Budget 2 to 3 hours. For more detail, see our best time to visit Colmar.
Musee Bartholdi
Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty, was born in this Colmar townhouse at 30 Rue des Marchands in 1834. The museum occupies his family home across three floors, displaying models, drawings, and personal objects tracing his career. The courtyard holds a full-scale cast of the Statue of Liberty’s left ear, which is oddly compelling to stand next to. Admission is 7 EUR, open Wednesday to Monday 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm (closed Tuesdays). Worth 60 to 90 minutes and located on one of Colmar’s most attractive medieval streets.
Eglise des Dominicains (Dominican Church)
This 14th-century Gothic church houses Martin Schongauer’s masterpiece Madonna of the Rose Bush (1473), one of the most significant paintings of the Northern Renaissance. The stained glass windows date from the 14th and 15th centuries and cast coloured light across the stone floor on sunny afternoons. Entry costs 2 EUR (or included with the Unterlinden combined ticket at 15 EUR). Open daily 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm from April to December. The painting is displayed in the choir behind protective glass but can be viewed from close range.
Things to Do in Colmar: Churches and Architecture
Eglise Saint-Martin (St. Martin’s Church)
Built between 1235 and 1365, this Gothic collegiate church is often called the Cathedrale de Colmar by locals, though it never held cathedral status. Its distinctive tower features a bulbous lantern top added after a 1572 fire destroyed the original spire. The interior is notable for its 13th-century stained glass and a 1755 Silbermann organ still used for concerts. Free entry. Open daily 8am to 6pm, shorter hours in winter. The south portal tympanum (circa 1260) depicts the Adoration of the Magi and is the finest piece of medieval sculpture on the church’s exterior. For more detail, see our Colmar travel tips.
Maison Pfister (Pfister House)
Built in 1537 for the hatter Ludwig Scherer, this corner building at 11 Rue des Marchands is Colmar’s most famous secular structure. It combines medieval half-timbered construction with Renaissance elements including an octagonal corner turret, a wooden two-storey gallery, and biblical frescoes on the facade. You cannot enter (it remains a private residence), but the exterior viewing from the Rue des Marchands corner is one of the essential photo stops in the old town.
Maison des Tetes (House of Heads)
This 1609 Renaissance building at 19 Rue des Tetes is named for the 106 sculpted heads and masks decorating its facade. The figures range from grotesques to cherubs to animals. A cooper named Anton Burger built it as a show of wealth during Colmar’s prosperous wine trade era. Today it houses a 5-star hotel and restaurant. You can view the facade from the street for free; the inner courtyard is accessible only to hotel guests.
Things to Do in Colmar: Food, Drink, and Markets
Marche Couvert (Covered Market)
The indoor market occupies a restored 1865 brick building on the banks of the Lauch River, just behind the Tanners’ District. Inside, roughly 20 stalls sell Alsatian cheeses (try the Munster), charcuterie, fresh produce, local wines by the glass, and prepared food. The riverside terrace is one of the best-value lunch spots in Colmar, pick up a tarte flambee, a glass of Riesling, and sit watching the canal boats drift past. Open Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 6pm, Sundays 10am to 3pm, closed Mondays. The market building itself, with its red brick facade and arched windows, is a listed historic monument. For more detail, see our Colmar weather by month guide.
Alsace Wine Route Tasting Rooms
Colmar serves as the de facto capital of the Alsace Wine Route, the 170km trail that runs through 51 Grand Cru vineyards and villages. Several tasting rooms operate in the old town itself. The Maison des Vins d’Alsace at 12 Place de la Cathedrale offers free tastings of regional wines and can help plan vineyard visits. Domaine Martin Jund at 12 Rue de l’Ange offers 5 EUR tastings of biodynamic wines. For a deeper experience, join a half-day guided tour that visits 2 to 3 domaines with transport included (60 to 80 EUR per person). For more detail, see our Colmar events and festivals.
Petit Train Touristique
The green tourist train runs a 35-minute loop through the old town with multilingual audio commentary covering the history of Little Venice, the Tanners’ District, and the major monuments. It departs from Rue Kléber near the Unterlinden Museum. Tickets cost 7.50 EUR for adults, 5 EUR for children aged 6 to 12. Operates daily from April to October, roughly every 30 minutes from 10am to 5pm (reduced schedule in April and October). Useful for getting your bearings on day one or for visitors with limited mobility who find cobblestone walking difficult.
