FRANCE
Colmar, beyond Christmas
olmar has been showing up more and more as the perfect Christmas destination in France, but I got to explore it right before the Christmas period started, and I’m not complaining. If you get the chance, here's why you shouldn't complain either.
First thing we learnt about Colmar, is that the color choices for the exteriors of the houses are not random
We entered the Alsace region – and France – on a short drive from Basel, Switzerland (1 hour, if not a bit less) to arrive in Colmar. The city is known for its old town and the colorful half-timbered houses. In fact, one of my earliest remarks about it is that it feels like a medieval theme park because everything is so well preserved and colorful. It’s a beautiful city, nevertheless.
First thing we learnt about Colmar, is that the color choices for the exteriors of the houses are not random; each color was a symbol of the owner’s profession i.e. yellow was for cheese makers, blue was for fishermen etc.
We parked on the bus’s lot in a city that pretty much looked like every other city in the world. It was after a short that we got to see the real Colmar. A lake in front of the Unterlinder Museum, with bushes, trees and flowers surrounding it and the famous houses everywhere around you. We walked through an open-air market full of antiques and souvenirs spread around the street in front of the buildings, to reach Little Venice, the neighborhoods where the buildings are lined on the two sides of a channel.
It was in Colmar where I first tried tarte flambée (or flammekueche). It literally means «pie baked in flames» with a dough like pizza and various toppings to choose from. In General, the city has many options for food and beautiful shops with pastries, including Maison Alsacienne de Biscuiterie which serves delicious macarons.
When you’re leaving the city, you will come across a roundabout with a 12-meter high replica of the Statue of Liberty. It was sculptuted to honor Auguste Batholdi – the Colmar born creator of the actual Statue of Liberty) on his 100th death anniversary. There’s even a small, triangular golden plague with the Statue of Liberty, on the ground next to the channel of Little Venice. Colmar is a beautiful, picturesque city, certainly magical in December with all the extra festive decorations, but if you want to visit any other month, it will certainly be worth it.