In the Fairy-Tale French City of Colmar

Chaitali takes us on a tour of a quaint French city, Colmar. Its beauty is out of the children’s fairy-tale books. An exclusive for Different Truths.  

“The earth laughs in flowers.” Visiting the small French city of Colmar brought to mind these words of the American essayist and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The Covid-19 pandemic had forced us to cancel our vacations, gatherings, and even business trips. Vacation starved for almost a year and a half. We were staying homebound, ever since the lockdowns were announced, in Europe, in March 2020. We eyed the map of Europe cautiously, as summer unfolded this year, slowly, but beautifully.

Despite having two jabs of the vaccine, which made us eligible to travel within the European Union and beyond, we still decided to tread carefully. We delayed plans to travel. Put off air travel. And chose a destination that is remote, the furthest from the madding crowd. And although the big picture in Europe is somewhat positive. Europeans are on the move this summer, we are still in the ‘season of doubt’, you see!

Ah, but then, should all those niggling, nagging doubts be given priority over our aspirations to travel? Surely not. And with this thought in mind, we decided to drive to the most colorful city in France, Colmar, via Luxembourg. But then, Colmar also has a nice railway station and can be easily reached from Paris, Zurich, Strasbourg, Basel by train.

And if you still prefer travelling by air, then so be it. You can reach Strasbourg from almost all the French and central European locations. From Strasbourg, you can take a commuter train and reach Colman within 30 minutes!             

Colmar: Where is That?

Colmar is an authentic French town in the heart of the Alsace region. It is, in fact, the capital of the Alsace wine region and is situated amidst the rolling hills. It nestles between the Vosges and the Rhine, Mulhouse, and Strasbourg.

The Alsace is the region where France meets Germany. Its proximity to the Swiss border makes it a unique tourist destination right in the heart of Alsace.

A Fairy Tale Town

It is a town coming into life out of those fairy tales we read in our childhood. In fact, Disney got the inspiration for the village in their movie Beauty and the Beast from Colmar. As you walk through its charming streets, you understand why. Tiny cottages, quaint fountains, hidden turrets, long wooden alleys, richly painted murals. It is as if the paintbrush of Time colored its streets in magical hues, lending it an old-world charm. It mixes past, present, and future, culture and leisure.

A wow effect is guaranteed throughout. As you stroll through the small city, your eyes feast on the colourful pots. These are laden with yellow, pink, and red geraniums on the window frames, almost in every house. Why, you even almost start to expect meeting one of those fairy tale characters from your childhood, Rapunzel lowering down her thick maze of hair from a turret. Or Hansel and Gretel walking through the streets, towards the archaic bakery in the middle of the city!

 A Cozy Place

Colmar’s many fountains, ancient churches, and Alsatian Renaissance houses have turned it into a center of tourism. This city stayed unscathed from the bombings during the second world war. It still preserves historical architecture. And it draws a lot of tourists every summer.

There is a riot of colours on the streets of Colmar. Lined with beautiful, pastel-colored medieval half-timbered houses, displaying a healthy mix of both German and French architecture. These houses date back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries. And it is wonderful to walk through the city and marvel at the beauty of these houses. Each one coloured differently.

There is a story behind the various colors used in these houses. The differently painted houses displayed different kinds of businesses. The blue house was a fisherman’s house. A red one belonged to the butcher. White house was for the bakers in the town. And the green one was obviously for the gardeners!

The town is a perfect specimen of medieval architecture. When we finished strolling through this brightly colored town, our eyes seemed to have scanned the palette consisting most vibrant, splashing colours from the rainbow!

Colmar’s Cuisine

Did you know that the Alsace region contains the greatest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants in the world? Colmar is a city renowned for its gastronomy and Alsatian food is an extraordinary blend of German and French cuisine. It consists of sauerkraut, sausages, and cream. The German influence on its food cannot be overlooked.

When in this place, trying out the creamy potatoes, delicious chocolate cakes, thin slices of flatbread spread with bacon, is an absolute must. And having a taste of Tartiflette, a mix of mashed potatoes, bacon, and the delectable Munster cheese, is just heavenly. Also, having a taste of the Bretzels (not pretzel!) made by the best bakers in Colmar is something we didn’t wish to miss. Neither should you!  

Colmar, the capital of Alsace wines, has preserved its rich architectural heritage as well as its picturesque character. The Alsace region of France is known for its superior wines. The town is surrounded by many vineyards. And indulging in the regional wines and tasting them is highly recommended.  

Colmar and Neighbouring Villages

Beautifully preserved medieval villages, with enchanting flower decorations, are to be found in plenty around Colmar. Tourists flock to these pretty villages to admire their beauty, taste the extraordinary Alsace wines, and of course, try out the local cuisine.

On our journey this year, we made a day trip to Kaysersberg, a sleepy, quaint village in the eastern part of the Alsace. It proudly displays its colourful houses. It is just an hour away from Colmar, and it can be reached by a local bus too.

While Kaysersberg is romantic with its castle ruins, the village that truly took our breath away. It was the one located in the southern part of Colmar, Eguisheim.This small village is truly small. And it is breathtaking for its profusion of flowers, especially in the summers. The village still contains its original fountain and the beautiful churches, dating back to the 13^th century.

At the close of our vacation, we managed to peek at Riquewihr,a village situated between the mountain peaks of the Vosges and the plains of the Alsace. Just a 15 minutes’ drive from Colmar, and surrounded by vineyards, Riquewihr is a fortified village. The most important one to visit if you’re following the Alsace wine route.

It is a village, which like Colmar, was left untouched from the bombings during the second world war. As such, it boasts of many historical monuments, beckoning us to its medieval past.It is a hidden gem of a village that oozes fairytale at every nook and corner. It invites you to have a cup of coffee, with a piece of delicious black forest cake, as dusk settles.

Visiting the Alsace region of France, walking through the medieval rampart, beside the half-timbered buildings, quaint windows, beautiful inner courtyards, charming fountains, and elegant wells, with views of the craggy castles faraway was not only refreshing but also romantic. And as we left the lovely, lush green valleys and the tantalising environs, we left a piece of our heart there!

Photos by the author