cities

Colmar

Open on map More cities Spin a random place Ask WorldAI

Overview

Colmar is a city in Alsace, France. Colmar's old town is the main attraction if you come to Colmar. It is stunningly beautiful and well preserved.

Facts

Rank

—

Coordinates

48.08, 7.36

Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia2,722 words

WBP editorial3

A walk through the culinary crossroads

Colmar sits at the meeting point of Germanic heartiness and French finesse, and that dialogue shows up on every plate. Seek out a winstub that serves choucroute garnie with a glass of Gewürztraminer straight from the nearby vineyards; the wine’s aromatic spice cuts through the pork’s richness in a way that feels intrinsic to the town’s borderland identity. For a lighter note, try a tarte flambée topped with Munster cheese—a nod to the Alpine past—paired with a crisp kirsch. Small bakeries often offer brioche à la Alsace, a sweet butter roll studded with raisins and flaked almonds, best enjoyed with a café au lait in a courtyard where locals linger past lunch.

Seasonal rhythm of the canals

The waterways that criss‑cross the centre of Colmar adopt a distinct character through the year. In early spring, the banks burst with crocuses and the mist rises off the water, offering photographers a soft palette before the tourist rush. Summer brings a gentle bustle: cafés spill onto the quays, and the occasional riverboat offers a brief, narrated glide past the half‑timbered houses. Autumn sees the foliage turning amber, and the reflections become a study in contrast, while the cooler evenings are perfect for a night‑cap of local brandy on a bench beneath street lamps. Winter, when the canals freeze thinly, locals sometimes skate informally, turning the scene into an unexpected, community‑spun ice rink.

Beyond the centre: day‑trips that echo Colmar’s heritage

While the historic centre is compact, the surrounding countryside amplifies the town’s layered past. A short drive north leads to Eguisheim, a village whose circular layout mirrors medieval fortification patterns, and its wine cellars still age barrels on stone slabs. To the south, the hilltop Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, restored with meticulous care, offers panoramic views that reveal the same rolling vineyards that frame Colmar’s skyline. For a quieter contrast, head east to the peat bogs of the Grand Ried, where guided walks explain the ecological significance of the Rhine’s floodplain—a natural backdrop that has shaped settlement patterns for centuries. Each excursion adds a dimension to the city’s narrative that centre‑only tours often miss.

Introduction

City in Alsace, France For other uses, see Colmar (disambiguation). Prefecture and commune in Grand Est, FranceColmar Colmer (Alsatian)Colmar / Kolmar (German)Prefecture and communeLittle Venice and St Martin's ChurchAncienne DouaneThéâtre municipalUnterlinden MuseumMusée Bartholdi FlagCoat of armsLocation of ColmarColmarShow map of FranceColmarShow map of Grand EstCoordinates: 48°04′54″N 7°21′20″E / 48.0817°N 7.3556°E / 48.0817; 7.3556CountryFranceRegionGrand EstDepartmentHaut-RhinArrondissementColmar-RibeauvilléCantonColmar-1 and 2IntercommunalityColmar AgglomérationGovernment • Mayor (2026–32) Éric Straumann (DVD)Area166.57 km2 (25.70 sq mi)Population (2023)66,970 • Density1,006/km2 (2,606/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code68066 /68000Dialling codes0389Elevation175–214 m (574–702 ft) (avg. 197 m or 646 ft)1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. Colmar (French pronunciation: [kɔlmaʁ]; Alsatian: Colmer [ˈkolməʁ]; German: Colmar or Kolmar) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department and of the subprefecture of the Colmar-Ribeauvillé arrondissement. Colmar was first mentioned in the 9th century and grew into an important medieval trading town within the Holy Roman Empire. In the 17th century it was annexed by France under Louis XIV, though it retained a distinct German character due to its location, predominant language, and culture. The city shifted between French and German control multiple times, before being permanently restored to France in 1945. The city is known for its well-preserved old town, numerous architectural landmarks, its blend of French and German heritage and its museums, among which is the Unterlinden Museum, which houses the Isenheim Altarpiece. Colmar is located on the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the capital of Alsatian wine (capitale des vins d'Alsace).

History

[edit] The Hôtel de Ville Colmar was first mentioned by Charlemagne in his chronicle about Saxon wars. This was the location where the Carolingian Emperor Charles the Fat held a diet in 884. Colmar was granted the status of a free imperial city by Emperor Frederick II in 1226. In 1354 it joined the Décapole city league. The city adopted the Protestant Reformation in 1575, long after the northern neighbours of Strasbourg and Sélestat. During the Thirty Years' War, it was taken by the Swedish army in 1632, which held it for two years. In 1634, the Schoeman family arrived and started the first town library. In 1635, the city's harvest was spoiled by Imperialist forces while the residents shot at them from the walls. The city was conquered by France under King Louis XIV in 1673 and officially ceded by the 1679 Treaties of Nijmegen. In 1854 a cholera epidemic killed many in the city. With the rest of Alsace, Colmar was ceded to the newly formed German Empire in 1871 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War and incorporated into the Alsace–Lorraine province. It returned to France after World War I according to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, and then reverted to French control after the battle of the "Colmar Pocket" in 1945. Colmar has been continuously governed by conservative parties since 1947, the Popular Republican Movement (1947–1977), the Union for French Democracy (1977–1995) and the Union for a Popular Movement (since 1995), and has had only three mayors during that time. The Colmar Treasure, a hoard of precious objects hidden by Jews during the Black Death, was discovered here in 1863.

Climate

[edit] Colmar has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) but it is significantly modified by the city's location far inland, with cold, dry winters and warm to hot, wetter summers. The city has a sunny microclimate and is one of the driest cities in France, with an annual precipitation of just 595 mm (23.4 in), making it ideal for Alsace wine. It is considered the capital of the Alsatian wine region. The town's dryness is due to its location near the mountains, which force clouds arriving from the west to rise. Most of their moisture condenses and falls over the higher ground, leaving the air warm and dry by the time it reaches Colmar. The city therefore has more of a continental climate and winter and summer temperatures can sometimes be the lowest or highest in France. Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France Town Sunshine(hours/yr) Rain(mm/yr) Snow (days/yr) Storm(days/yr) Fog (days/yr) National average 1,973 770 14 22 40 Colmar 1,780.7 606.6 25.7 24.8 55.4 Paris 1,661 637 12 18 10 Nice 2,724 767 1 29 1 Strasbourg 1,693 665 29 29 56 Brest 1,605 1,211 7 12 75 Climate data for Colmar (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1957–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 18.6(65.5) 22.7(72.9) 27.3(81.1) 29.7(85.5) 34.7(94.5) 38.6(101.5) 38.7(101.7) 40.9(105.6) 33.8(92.8) 30.7(87.3) 24.0(75.2) 20.3(68.5) 40.9(105.6) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.6(42.1) 7.6(45.7) 12.6(54.7) 17.1(62.8) 21.0(69.8) 24.7(76.5) 26.7(80.1) 26.5(79.7) 22.0(71.6) 16.3(61.3) 9.8(49.6) 6.3(43.3) 16.4(61.5) Daily mean °C (°F) 2.4(36.3) 3.5(38.3) 7.2(45.0) 11.1(52.0) 15.2(59.4) 18.8(65.8) 20.6(69.1) 20.3(68.5) 16.1(61.0) 11.5(52.7) 6.2(43.2) 3.2(37.8) 11.3(52.3) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.8(30.6) −0.7(30.7) 1.9(35.4) 5.1(41.2) 9.4(48.9) 12.9(55.2) 14.4(57.9) 14.0(57.2) 10.2(50.4) 6.7(44.1) 2.7(36.9) 0.2(32.4) 6.3(43.3) Record low °C (°F) −22.0(−7.6) −24.8(−12.6) −16.0(3.2) −7.3(18.9) −3.1(26.4) 2.1(35.8) 4.0(39.2) 3.2(37.8) −1.0(30.2) −7.6(18.3) −13.1(8.4) −19.0(−2.2) −24.8(−12.6) Average precipitation mm (inches) 33.1(1.30) 30.6(1.20) 34.0(1.34) 42.8(1.69) 69.8(2.75) 66.2(2.61) 62.8(2.47) 60.8(2.39) 51.3(2.02) 56.8(2.24) 43.6(1.72) 43.2(1.70) 595.0(23.43) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.1 7.0 7.5 8.5 10.6 9.4 9.2 9.4 7.6 9.3 7.9 8.1 101.6 Average snowy days 7.0 6.2 3.6 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.7 5.1 25.7 Average relative humidity (%) 87 82 76 74 75 72 69 72 76 83 87 88 78.4 Source 1: Meteociel Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snowy days, 1961–1990)

Population

[edit] Historical populationYearPop.±% p.a.1793 13,000—    1800 11,933−1.22%1806 14,465+3.26%1821 14,300−0.08%1831 15,442+0.77%1836 15,958+0.66%1841 19,908+4.52%1846 20,050+0.14%1851 21,348+1.26%1856 21,284−0.06%1861 22,629+1.23%1866 23,669+0.90%1871 23,311−0.30%1875 23,990+0.72%1880 26,106+1.70%1885 26,537+0.33%1890 30,399+2.75%1895 33,146+1.75%1900 36,844+2.14%YearPop.±% p.a.1905 41,791+2.55%1910 43,808+0.95%1921 42,255−0.33%1926 43,167+0.43%1931 46,518+1.51%1936 49,448+1.23%1946 46,124−0.69%1954 47,305+0.32%1962 52,355+1.28%1968 59,550+2.17%1975 64,771+1.21%1982 62,483−0.51%1990 63,498+0.20%1999 65,136+0.28%2007 66,560+0.27%2012 67,257+0.21%2017 69,105+0.54%2023 66,970−0.52%Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2023)

Main sights

[edit] Part of the old town area Mostly spared from the destructions of the French Revolution and the wars of 1870–1871, 1914–1918 and 1939–1945, the cityscape of old-town Colmar is homogeneous and renowned among tourists. An area that is crossed by canals of the river Lauch (which formerly served as the butcher's, tanner's and fishmonger's quarter) is now called "little Venice" (la Petite Venise). Architectural landmarks[edit] Maison Pfister. The house can easily be spotted in Howl's Moving Castle. St Martin's Church, Colmar (Église Saint-Martin) Martin Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower inside the Église des Dominicains "Little Venice" Musée Bartholdi Water tower Colmar's secular and religious architectural landmarks reflect eight centuries of Germanic and French architecture and the adaptation of their respective stylistic language to the local customs and building materials (pink and yellow Vosges sandstone, timber framing). Secular buildings[edit] Maison Adolph – 14th century (German Gothic) Koïfhus, also known as Ancienne Douane – 1480 (German Gothic) Maison Pfister – 1537 (German Renaissance). Ancien Corps de garde – 1575 (German Renaissance) Maison des Chevaliers de Saint-Jean – 1608 (German Renaissance) Maison des Têtes – 1609 (German Renaissance) Poêle des laboureurs – 1626 (German Baroque) Ancien Hôpital – 1736–1744 (French Classicism) Tribunal de grande instance – 1771 (French Classicism) Hôtel de Ville – 1790 (French Classicism) Colmar prison – 1791, formerly a convent built in 1316. Cour d'Assises – 1840 (French Neoclassicism) Théâtre municipal – 1849 (French Neoclassicism) Marché couvert – 1865 (French Neo-Baroque). The city's covered market, built in stone, bricks and cast iron, still serves today. Préfecture – 1866 (French Neo-Baroque) Water tower – 1886. Oldest still preserved water tower in Alsace. Out of use since 1984. Gare SNCF – 1905 (German Neo-Baroque) Cour d'appel – 1906 (German Neo-Baroque) Religious buildings[edit] Église Saint-Martin – 1234–1365. The largest church of Colmar and one of the largest in Haut-Rhin. Displays some early stained glass windows, several Gothic and Renaissance sculptures and altars, a grand Baroque organ case. The choir is surrounded by an ambulatory opening on a series of Gothic chapels, a unique feature in Alsatian churches. Église des Dominicains – 1289–1364. Now deconsecrated as a church, displays Martin Schongauer's masterwork Madonna of the Rose Bower as well as 14th century stained glass windows and baroque choir stalls. The adjacent convent buildings house a section of the municipal library. Église Saint-Matthieu – 13th century. Gothic and Renaissance stained glass windows and mural paintings, as well as a wooden and painted ceiling. Couvent des Antonins – 13th century. Deconsecrated church and convent buildings notable for a richly ornate cloister. Now housing the Unterlinden Museum (see below). Église Sainte-Catherine – 1371. Deconsecrated church and convent buildings now used as an assembly hall and festival venue (Salle des Catherinettes). Chapelle Saint-Pierre – 1742–1750. Classicist chapel of a former Jesuit college. Synagogue – 1843 (Neoclassicism) Fountains[edit] Fontaine de l'Amiral Bruat – 1864 (Statue by Bartholdi) Fontaine Roeselmann – 1888 (Statue by Bartholdi) Fontaine Schwendi – 1898 (Statue by Bartholdi) Monuments[edit] Monument du Général Rapp – 1856 (first shown 1855 in Paris. Statue by Bartholdi, his earliest major work) Monument Hirn – 1894 (Statue by Bartholdi) Statue Les grands soutiens du monde − 1902 (in the courtyard of the Bartholdi Museum) Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) replica Museums[edit] Maison des têtes A replica of The Little Vintner of Colmar by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, given by the town of Colmar to Princeton, its sister city, in 1988 Unterlinden Museum – one of the main museums in Alsace. Displays the Isenheim Altarpiece, a large collection of medieval, Renaissance and baroque Upper-Rhenish paintings and sculptures, archaeological artefacts, design and international modern art. Musée Bartholdi – the birthplace of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi shows his life and work through paintings, drawings, family objects and furniture as well as numerous plaster, metal and stone sculptures. A section of the museum is further dedicated to the local Jewish community's heritage. Musée d'histoire naturelle et d'ethnographie – the zoological and ethnographic museum of Colmar was founded in 1859. Besides a large collection of taxidermied animals, and artefacts from former French and German colonies in Africa and Polynesia, it also houses a collection of ancient Egyptian items. Musée du jouet – the town's toy museum, founded 1993. Musée des usines municipales – industrial and technological museum in a former factory, dedicated to the history of everyday technology. Choco-Story Colmar - museum presenting the history of chocolate, with regional history displays, the ability to taste different chocolates and artworks made of chocolate Library[edit] The Municipal Library of Colmar (Bibliothèque municipale de Colmar) owns one of the richest collections of incunabula in France, with more than 2,300 volumes. This is quite an exceptional number for a city that is neither the main seat of a university, nor of a college, and has its explanation in the dissolution of local monasteries, abbeys and convents during the French Revolution and the subsequent gift of their collections to the town.

Transport

[edit] The small regional Colmar Airport serves Colmar. The nearest international airports are EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg which is located 52 km away and Strasbourg Airport located 68 km away from Colmar. The railway station Gare de Colmar offers connections to Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Besançon, Zürich and several regional destinations. Colmar was also once linked to Freiburg im Breisgau, in Germany and on the other side of the Rhine, by the Freiburg–Colmar international railway. However the railway bridge over the Rhine between Breisach and Neuf-Brisach was destroyed in 1945 and never replaced.

Education

[edit] This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (April 2015) Senior high schools in Colmar include: Lycée Bartholdi [fr] Lycée Camille Sée Lycée polyvalent Blaise Pascal Lycée polyvalent Martin Schongauer Lycée privé Saint-André Lycée professionnel privé Saint-Jean École privée Mathias Grunewald Colmar shares the Université de Haute-Alsace (Upper Alsace University) with the neighbouring, larger city of Mulhouse. Of the approximately 8,000 students of the UHA, around 1,500 study at the Institut universitaire de technologie (IUT) Colmar, at the Colmar branch of the Faculté des Sciences et Techniques and at the Unité de Formation et de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire d'Enseignement Professionalisé Supérieur (UFR PEPS). The École Compleméntaire Pour L'Enseignement Japonaise à Colmar (コルマール補習授業校 Korumāru Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a part-time supplementary Japanese school, is held in Colmar. At one time classes were held at the Centre Cultural de Seijo.

Economy

[edit] Colmar: capital of Alsatian wines Liebherr in Colmar Colmar is an affluent city whose primary economic strength lies in the flourishing tourist industry. But it is also the seat of several large companies: Timken (European seat), Liebherr (French seat), Leitz (French seat), Capsugel France (A division of Pfizer). Every year since 1947, Colmar is host to what is now considered as the biggest annual commercial event as well as the largest festival in Alsace, the Foire aux vins d'Alsace (Alsacian wine fair). When Air Alsace existed, its head office was on the grounds of Colmar Airport.

Notable people

[edit] Jean Rapp Armand Joseph Bruat, amiral de France Auguste Nefftzer, 1863 Caspar Isenmann (1410? – 1484?), painter Martin Schongauer (1450–1491), painter and engraver Georg Wickram (1502–1562), poet and novelist Jean-François Rewbell (1747–1807), diplomat and revolutionist Jean Rapp (1771–1821), lieutenant general Conrad Berg (1785–1852), composer Charles Xavier Thomas (1785–1870), inventor Marie Bigot (1786–1820), musician, pianist and composer, friend of Haydn and Beethoven Armand Joseph Bruat (1796–1855), admiral Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès (1812–1895), politician, killer of Alexander Pushkin in a duel Auguste Nefftzer (1820–1876), journalist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834–1904), sculptor. He created Liberty Enlightening the World (the Statue of Liberty). Camille Sée (1847–1919), politician Jean-Baptiste Lemire (1867–1945), composer Jean-Jacques Waltz (1873–1951), drawer and caricaturist Ernst Stadler (1883–1914), Alsatian poet Paul Wormser (1905–1944), Olympic épée fencer Hans Loewald (1906–1993), psychoanalyst and theorist Jean-Pierre Muller (1924–2008), Olympic epee fencer Bernard Schmitt (1929–2014), economist and founder of the "Quantum Economics" Christian de Chergé (1937-1996), Trappist monk and one of the Tibhirine monks Guy Roux (born 1938), football coach Pierre Moerlen (1952–2005), musician, drummer and composer Pierre Hermé (born 1961), confectioner, entrepreneur and pastry chef Thomas Bloch (born 1962), musician Éric Straumann (born 1964), politician Pascal Elbé (born 1967), actor, director and screenwriter Marc Keller (born 1968), football player Cendrine Wolf (born 1969), children's author Pascal Johansen (born 1979), football player Nicolas Armindo (born 1982), racing driver Amaury Bischoff (born 1987), football player Fabien Schmidt (born 1989), professional cyclist Ryad Boudebouz (born 1990), Algerian-French footballer

International relations

[edit] Twin towns – sister cities[edit] See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France Colmar is twinned with: Schongau, Bavaria, Germany (1962) Lucca, Italy (1962) Princeton, United States (1986) Győr, Hungary (1993) Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (1962) Vale of White Horse, England, United Kingdom (1978) Eisenstadt, Austria (1983) Replicas of historical buildings in Malaysia[edit] Bukit Tinggi Resort Colmar Tropicale which is situated in Bentong district, State of Pahang, Malaysia is a resort-theme historical village inspires from the original Colmar commune in France. Colmar Tropicale located 60 km north-east of Kuala Lumpur. North of it, a rebuild of Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is in the Berjaya Hills, hosting an organic resort hotel.