The hometown of Bartholdi, the French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty, is Colmar. The statue can be seen everywhere and is also the sign on the local tourist walk around Colmar. The town is nestled in vineyards and gentile hills in the middle of the Alsace region and the Wines Route.
Colmar is full of charm and medieval half-timbered houses, making it a very pleasant small town to explore the cobblestoned old town and relax with a glass of local wine.
The area along the Lauch river, which used to be the fishmongers, butchers and tanners quartes, is known as ‘Little Venice‘. The area is very picturesque and boats, although not nearly as nice as in the real Venice, are carrying tourist along the waterways.
The St Martin’s Cathedral (although technically no longer a cathedral) is the main church in Colmar. Nearby are the Dominican Convent, now a library, and the St Mattieu Churches.
There are a number of historic houses in the city centre dating back well into the medieval times. The old customs house; Koifhus, the Adolph House, Old Guard House, or the Ploughmen’s Guild with the intricate masonry portal are just a few. Whilst there is an original size ear of the Statue of Liberty in the Bartholdi Museum, there is also a smaller size version of the full statue towards the local airport. One of the most famous houses is the Pfister House with its elaborate carvings and paintings on the façade.
The Colmar Tourist Trail, marked with bras plaques picturing the Statue of Liberty, takes about 3 hours and is also including some interesting sights outside the immediate city centre.
And here are just some more pictures from our visit to the beautiful Colmar.
The END of our wonderful trip to the historic Alsace.
othmar & wichit's space 