Will be staying in Colmar, or possibly in Strasbourg. Interests are great food, beautiful scenery, unique shopping, day trips, also private tours and off beaten path finds.
Will be using train, we are open to private car service/tour to get deeper into places trains don’t go if something is really a must.
Would love your recommendations! We love food, discovering delicious drinks, history, and just having a relaxed good time.
Looking at about 5 days in area, but flexible. April/May trip
How long will you be there … and when are you planning?
The Route des Vins and a dozen or so “chocolate box” towns along that route, near Colmar and between there and Strasbourg are definitely on the beaten path.
Are you ok with cycling or e-biking? Either for a day or as a guided or self-guided tour.
I’m flexible on time, I was imagining 5-6 days or so. And yes it’s possible for us to do some light bike rides.
I enjoyed an excellent meal one night at La Maison Rouge.
I spent a week in Colmar in 2022 without a car.
I had a wonderful day tour with L'Alsaciette. They offer several small group wine and food tours visiting several wine villages.
Depending on your timing the Kutzig bus may be running. They run a continuous circuit to several of the wine villages.
For the best Tarte Flambée in Colmar, book a table at La Soï.
We were in Strasbourg and Colmar late last month. Loved them both. Since you will be traveling by train, you may be interested to know that Ibis Styles hotels in both towns are within walking distance of the train stations. Both hotels were very nice and well priced with good buffet breakfasts.
Colmar is only about a 30 minute train ride from Strasbourg, if that may affect your decision of where to stay and how long in each place. Small Town excursions are more convenient from Colmar, but I would give Strasbourg two full days...fabulous cathedral, the canals around La Petite France neighborhood, the half-timbered houses...a lovely historical city. Then Colmar for its own ambience and ease of side trips, 3 days (1 in Colmar, 2 in excursions).
Yes this is another debate with my time- if I wish to stay in one of the two places (Colmar or Strasbourg) or if I wish to move hotels. With how close they are, I think I’d rather just stay in one and train to the other for day trips.
And thank you I’m marking these suggestions now!
Strasbourg is the larger city. The cathedral there is over 1000 years old and has quite an evolution. Architecturally, from Romanesque to Gothic, religiously from Catholic to Protestant and back again. And features, with a 19th C Astronomic clock and a recent stained glass window of Jesus in celebration of the church’s 1000th year. It’s pretty impressive.
Colmar is a bit smaller, quainter and its old town center is pretty magical … esp in the eves after day-trippers have left. We dined well in both cities and spent two nights in each.
We rode the Route des Vins three days / two nights, between the two, with nights in Obernai and Ribeauville. Quiet roads and paths, fairly flat and pretty easy by e-bike. “Self-guided” tour, meaning that we had bikes and directions and that hotels and luggage transfers were arranged by the operator, velo voyageur. So we were in Alsace 6 nights, 5 full days
We detoured on cycle day two (between Obernai and Ribeauville) to climb up to the castle at Haute Koenigsburg, which you may choose to skip. 1600 foot climb.
If you want a more modest, very flat, single cycle day, a ride from Colmar to Eguisheim and Turckheim (EDIT: and back to Colmar) might be the ticket. A longer ride, still flat and not too far, would add Ammerschwihr and Kaysersberg (EDIT; to the loop).
Velo Voyaguer arranged the bikes through Alsacyclotours, which seems to have locations in Strasbourg, Colmar, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg and which seems to offer tours themselves, as well as just bike rentals.
We are big fans of self-guided e-bike tours. We move at our own pace. We can find our own little back doors. Being on a bike is a great conversation starter. You sit on a park bench and locals ask where you’re traveling, where you’re from and then you’re off to the races, talking about work, retirement, local spots to visit, whatever. And on your own, you’re not in with a gaggle of American or other English speaking tourists.
Food in Alsace is more German than French, though there is plenty of both.
For more, see our Trip Report which mentions some restaurants we enjoyed, as well as a winery we visited.
We did a three day trip to this area in late May and loved it. We stayed in Colmar- it can get a bit crowded during the day so it was nice to be there in the evening when there were fewer people. As others have said, it's very easy to visit Strasbourg with just a half hour train ride (you also need to get the tram into the old town once you arrive at the station). We also took the bus to Riquewihr for an afternoon which I really enjoyed- very easy journey and a beautiful town.
If you like history, you may enjoy the Museum Unterlinden in Colmar which has a lot of medieval art. We also did the official (self guided) walking tour around Colmar in the evening when it was a little cooler and enjoyed that as well. Our hotel gave us a little free map which had the tour route on it.
We had five nights in Strasbourg a couple of years ago and loved it.
We did a day trip by train to Colmar and another day trip with a small group tour to the villages of Riquewihr and Ribeauville plus visited three wineries.
The others on the small group tour didn't show up, so it ended up a private tour and we loved it.
We found plenty to do in Strasbourg for the other two days and are glad we didn't move hotels and stay in different places.
We stayed in Strasbourg and it was lovely. We had lunch at La Cloche a Fromage, which was incredible. Dinner at Cucci which was delicious.. We had another great dinner at L’Oignon. Cocktail recommendation is Aedean, which is a nice speakeasy bar.
Definitely recommend L’Alsaciette Tours as a day trip from Colmar (easy train ride if you stay in Strasbourg). We had a fabulous day with them and it was a highlight of our vacation.
Was just there last month. You won’t run out of things to do, see, eat and drink! If a 3-4 hour Michelin-starred dining experience floats your boat, try for a reservation at L'Atelier du Peintre in Colmar.
I would split the nights between Strasbourg and Colmar.
Strasbourg is bigger and has more things to see and do, but Colmar is more centrally located to visit the other Alsace towns.
Colmar is not a good day trip destination because it gets overwhelmed with day trippers. It’s nicer in the morning and evenings.
Strasbourg has a lot to do to cram into a day trip.
If you stay in only one or the other, you’ll end up shortchanging the one you don’t stay in.
With 5 nights, I would do Strasbourg (2), Colmar (3).
