A Colmar day trip from Strasbourg

Colmar is the Alsace you have seen in pictures: canals lined with brightly painted houses, cobbled lanes, carved façades, and one of the finest art museums in France. The town is small enough to explore on foot in a day, and it is about 1 hour’s drive from Strasbourg.

Here is a simple plan, hour by hour, and our practical tips for a relaxed day.

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Getting from Strasbourg to Colmar

• Private van or sedan with driver: about 75 km (47 miles), roughly 1 hour on the A35 motorway outside rush hour. Door-to-door from your hotel, dropped as close to the centre as possible.
• Train: direct regional TER trains link the two stations. Colmar station is about a 15 to 20-minute walk from the old town.
• Rental car: an easy motorway drive, but the centre is partly pedestrian and car parks fill up fast at weekends and in December.

Good to know: prices For the whole vehicle (up to 8 passengers): Strasbourg to Colmar about €190, return about €360. If you’d like the driver to wait for you, or to add wine villages, we’ll send a quote.

Colmar’s must-sees

Little Venice (Petite Venise)

Colmar’s most famous corner. The little River Lauch flows between colourful half-timbered houses and flower-decked bridges. In the warmer months, short boat trips are offered (season and times to check locally).

Quai de la Poissonnerie

The old fishmongers’ quarter, right next to Little Venice, and probably the most photographed view in town.

The old town

Everything is flat and walkable:

• Maison Pfister, with its turret and painted wooden galleries;
• The Koïfhus, the old customs house with its glazed-tile roof;
• St Martin’s Collegiate Church, the big Gothic church in the heart of town;
• Maison des Têtes, the “House of Heads”, its façade covered with small carved faces.

The Unterlinden Museum

Housed in a 13th-century convent, this is the most visited museum in Alsace. Its star is the Isenheim Altarpiece, painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516 and considered one of the great masterpieces of European art. Allow about 1.5 hours.

Good to know: Unterlinden Museum Open Wednesday to Monday, 9am to 6pm (last entry 5.30pm). Closed on Tuesdays, and on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 4pm. Please check musee-unterlinden.com before your visit.

The Bartholdi Museum

Colmar is the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. His family home is now a museum, and several of his statues stand in the town’s squares.

Your day, hour by hour

On a Tuesday (museum closed): start with the old town and Little Venice, then add one or two Wine Route villages in the afternoon.

Good to know: walking in Colmar The centre is flat, but the cobblestones can be uneven, so comfortable shoes help. If walking is difficult, just tell your driver: they will drop you as close to each area as the streets allow.

What to eat in Colmar

Colmar is a food lover’s town. A few local specialities to try:

• tarte flambée (flammekueche): a thin, crispy flatbread with cream, onions and bacon, made for sharing;
• choucroute garnie: sauerkraut with sausages and pork, hearty and perfect in cold weather;
• baeckeoffe: meat and potatoes slow-cooked in a sealed pot;
• kougelhopf: the Alsatian ring-shaped brioche, for breakfast or afternoon coffee;
• and of course Alsace wines: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer.

Good to know: lunch At weekends and in December, restaurants in the centre fill up quickly at lunchtime. Book a table the day before, or eat a little early, around noon.

Colmar with children or older travellers

• Distances are short and the centre is flat, so it’s easy to stop often on a bench or a café terrace.
• The boat ride through Little Venice appeals to every age (in season).
• Visit the Unterlinden Museum in the morning, while everyone still has plenty of energy.
• With a private driver, you can head back to your hotel early if someone gets tired: just give us a call.

Colmar plus the wine villages

Colmar is the gateway to the Alsace Wine Route. Add one or two villages and your day becomes truly memorable:

• Eguisheim, about 10 minutes away: lanes in circles around a castle, one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”;
• Kaysersberg, about 20 minutes: fortified bridge and castle ruins;
• Riquewihr, about 20 minutes: medieval walls and main street.

Example: Riquewihr and Kaysersberg in the morning, lunch, Colmar in the afternoon, back in the evening. Full details in our Alsace Wine Route guide.

Colmar at Christmas

From late November to late December, Colmar hosts six Christmas markets across the old town. In 2026 they run from Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December. Dates, opening hours and tips on our Colmar Christmas market page.

Good to know: December During market hours the town centre is closed to traffic, and weekends are very busy. Choose a weekday if you can.

Read next

• Alsace Wine Route guide
• Alsace wine village Christmas tour
• Getting around Alsace without a car

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