Colmar

Colmar sits about 70 km south of Strasbourg in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace, in France's Grand Est region, and is one of the easiest day trips from the regional capital. The direct TER Fluo Grand Est train takes about 32 minutes with roughly two departures an hour, so the town can be reached without a car; the station is a 15-minute walk from the old centre. Driving via the A35 takes about 50 minutes but means paying for parking. The historic core is compact and best explored on foot. Visitors typically start at the Place de l'Ancienne Douane, where the 15th-century Koifhus, the old customs house, stands beside the canal. From there the route leads to the Maison Pfister with its painted facade and wooden gallery, the Maison des Tetes, and the Collegiale Saint-Martin. The Petite Venise quarter, along the Lauch river, is the postcard district, with half-timbered houses in pastel colours and flat-bottomed boat tours that run through the warmer months. The Unterlinden Museum, housed in a former convent, holds the Issenheim Altarpiece and is the main paid cultural stop; allow about 90 minutes. A suggested one-day arc is to arrive around 9:30, walk the Old Town and Petite Venise before the tour groups arrive, and break for lunch at a winstub, a traditional Alsatian tavern serving choucroute, flammekueche or baeckeoffe. The afternoon suits the Unterlinden Museum, a stop at the covered Marche Couvert beside the Lauch for cheese and pastry, and a stroll through the Quartier des Tanneurs before catching an evening train back. The best season runs from April to December. Summer brings long daylight and boat rides, while the Christmas market in late November and December is the busiest period, when mid-day crowds are heavy and an early start or a late-afternoon visit is more comfortable. Rest stops are plentiful, with cafes around the Place de la Cathedrale and the Marche Couvert, and the town centre is largely traffic-free. Colmar also works as a base for continuing along the Route des Vins to nearby villages such as Riquewihr if the visitor wishes to extend the day.