Professional guides from the Colmar Tourist Office conduct walking tours in several languages, including English, for groups and individuals. In addition to town walks, you can arrange a guided tour out to the nearby villages, vineyards, and mountains. Each local guide is trained in Alsatian art, history, architecture, and culture, so you’ll be getting the inside story as well as...

Dominican clergy started this church in 1283, but the building has been renovated several times. In the early 18th century the Gothic structure took on a Baroque style, and today your attention will be drawn to the church’s beautiful portals and stained-glass windows. The church is a bit bare and doesn’t have a bell, but the carved doors and stained-glass windows are beautiful. Inside,...

La Grande Île is the historic center of Strasbourg and the most interesting part of the city. This stretch of land is surrounded by branches of the Île River and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, due to its well-preserved medieval structures. Allow plenty of time to stroll along the cobblestone streets, visit the centuries-old buildings, and admire the...

This little village, near Fort Schoenenbourg and the North Vosges Regional Park, has maintained a great deal of its 18th- and 19th-century beauty and culture. Streets are lined with half-timbered houses featuring “privacy” windows that bulge outward and balconies trimmed with red geraniums. Town residents also preserve their rural traditions, and it’s not unusual to see them walking about on holidays dressed...

This is the heart of Strasbourg’s commercial district. You’ll find upscale shops lining the central square, which is dominated by a statue of Jean-Baptiste Kléber, who was a general during the French Revolution. He was born in the city in 1753, and his remains are buried in a vault beneath the statue. Notice Aubette Palace on the north side of...

Finished in 1480, this is the oldest public building in Colmar. It was originally a customs house set in the center of the town’s commercial district. The ground floor was used for storage of imported goods, and the upper level was a meeting room for a regional political group. Panorama of Colmar Climb to the top of the stone steps for...

Around 70,000 visitors per year walk through this museum of Alsatian memorabilia, making it one of the most popular attractions in the region. You may get a back-in-time feeling, as though you’re walking through a house where your relatives have just stepped out for awhile. The three 16th-17th century joined houses are a web of small rooms with wood-paneled walls,...

Allow plenty of time to explore the restored historic center of Colmar. Many of the buildings lining the narrow cobblestone streets date back to the medieval and Renaissance periods, and the half-timbered houses seem more German than French. Consider riding the Little White Train around town to get oriented, and then explore the most interesting areas on foot. The quartier...

  This little neighborhood in Colmar’s old city is charming, but it only looks like Venice, Italy if you have a vivid imagination. No matter. The area is captivating in its own Alsatian style. A worker’s community in ancient times During the middle ages, the district was a rural community of farmers, fishermen, and laborers. Its nickname comes from the attractive...

Riquewihr is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved villages in Alsace. Get acquainted with the town and its vineyards with a commentated ride on the open-air Little Train, which runs daily April-November from the town hall on  Grand Rue. You’ll want to come back after the train ride to explore the town, which is enclosed by fortification walls and surrounded...

Experts think these intriguing dwellings carved into the sandstone cliffs at the foot of the Vosges Mountains were constructed in the Middle Ages as barns or storehouses.  Monks living at the nearby Benedictine abbey set posts into the rock at the openings to shallow caves and used wood to build outer walls to protect the cave’s contents. In the 1600s,...

Palais de Rohan is a lovely baroque building constructed between 1732 and 1742, which now houses three important museums. It’s worthwhile to take a high-speed look about. History buffs and art fans will want to linger in each museum on individual floors. The first floor houses the exquisite apartments of the Cardinal de Rohan and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, ...

A 45-minute Batorama river tour around the historic island called  La Grande Île is fun, informative, and a chance to rest your feet. The bateau-mouche-style excursion boats are heated and air-conditioned, but if the weather’s fine, choose the open-air cruise. From May through September, you can hop aboard as late as 10 pm for a sunset tour along the Île River. Pick up tickets...

Strasbourg’s Notre Dame Cathedral is a medieval masterpiece. It’s easy to find since its 15th-century pink sandstone tower is 463 feet high and visible from most parts of the city. It took more than 300 years to build, and it was the tallest structure in the world at that time. You will agree with Victor Hugo that the Gothic church...

The small village of Thann marks the southern end of the Alsatian Wine Route. It is surrounded by vineyards and tucked below the Vosges Mountains. It makes a fine starting point for drives along the Route des Cretes (Crest Road) as well as the Route des Vins (Wine Road). The dominating feature of the town is the Gothic Collegiate Church Saint-Thiébaut, with...

Built in 1232 as a Dominican convent, the Unterlinden Museum (Under the Linden Tree) is a treasure house of important international masterpieces and Alsatian art. In December 2015, a new wing opened connecting the former convent to a contemporary building devoted to modern art. A tunnel joins the new with the old and gives the museum more open space. The Isenheim Alterpiece...

Inhale deeply, before you sip, and discover the unique aroma of Alsatian wines. Each variety has the rich fragrance of the fertile soil in which the grapes are grown. The seven Alsatian grape varieties: Sylvaner, dry & fruity Pinot Blanc (aka Kleiner), dry & full-bodied Riesling, dry & fruity Muscat d’Alsace, dry, delicate & fruity Pinot Gris (aka Tokay) rich...

Sitting near the German border, 35m/59km north of Strasbourg, this lovely little town is well preserved despite its long history of attacks and wars. The town is listed on the Romanesque Route because of Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, an oversized Gothic church with an impressive 11th-century Romanesque tower. The church hosts an impressive schedule of concerts, which you can find (in French,...