Colmar worth a side trip?

We spent only one day in Colmar around the time of the Christmas markets 2022.It was charming and I would like to return. It is well worth a side trip.

I've definitely noticed Colmar divides opinions on this Forum -- very love it or leave it! Maybe do a round up of Colmar posts and count up the votes in each column! Personally I'm in the "pro" column and found it charming and enjoyable. But it is a major tourist destination and summer is sure to be crowded.

I liked Colmar but if Strasbourg is also a possibility, I would do it.

If you're traveling by train, and the train stops in Colmar before it gets to Strasbourg - definitely. If you're driving, then no problem.

I think it definitely merits an overnight stop if your means of transportation makes it doable. Otherwise, Strasbourg is an equally viable option.

Absolutely !

Yes. Try to spend at least one night. In the evening, it's a different place.

However......if there is a restaurant you want to visit, make reservations ahead of time.

I would choose Strasbourg over Colmar. Add a wine village or two from Strasbourg.

We’ll be using Colmar as a base to visit towns. If you’re driving and the rental wasn’t picked up in France, Colmar makes more sense than Strasbourg. Strasbourg is inside an environmental zone and if the rental doesn’t have a French environmental (low emission) sticker, you could get a fine somewhere between 68€-450€. Colmar is not inside an environmental zone.

Very near Colmar is Eguisheim. It’s small and doesn’t take long to see. In Colmar, La Petite Venise, Vieille ville, and the Marché Couvert Colmar all look interesting. If you had the time there are three villages close to each other, Riquewihr, Hunawihr, and Ribeauvillé, that you could walk to. Round trip would take a couple hours, excluding stops for pastries and/or wine tasting. Also near Colmar is the medieval village of Kaysersberg. It is supposedly a favorite French village.

My wife and I spent a month in Colmar last June and had a wonderful time. If you can spend a day or two there, it's worth it.

• The old town is lovely, with old houses and churches throughout.
• I'd definitely recommend a side trip to Eguisheim--incredible little village.
• I'd encourage you to rent bikes for a day (you can easily rent them--regular and e-bikes) right at the Colmar train station) and bike to Eguisheim and loop through some of the vineyards (on the wine service roads). It's a wonderful experience. (See this: https://colmar.titanet.pro/file/3668/carte-z-velo-circuit-1-et-2.pdf)

Yes, well worth your time in Colmar, a lovely town.

Yes for staying in Colmar! We were there two nights and I would have been happy to stay longer.

I was in Paris for over a week and during that time we headed to Colmar for just an overnight trip. Enjoyed it very much. I kept the apartment we were staying in within Paris and only took one overnight bag for the both of us. We got in by lunchtime, made dinner reservations as recommended by the hotel staff and spent the entire day sightseeing. We enjoyed breakfast the next morning at the Market Hall & picked up a few goodies for our 11:00 am train back to Paris.

During Christmas season in 2021 we stayed in Strasbourg a few nights & just took the train for a day & evening visit.

Enjoy your trip.

The Unterlinden Museum in Colmar is quite good. Its most famous holding is the recently-restored Isenheim Altarpiece, an acknowledged masterpiece.

Here's a second re how impressive and moving the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar is. I saw it 20 years ago and still think of it, especially when celebrating Easter.

Colmar is charming and easily worth an overnight stop. The Isenheim alterpiece is the premier artistic attraction, but the town itself is worth a visit. We stopped for lunch on the way from Heidelberg to Zurich and immediately decided to return for a few days on a future trip. Dealing with a car in Colmar is easier than Strasbourg.

We were sorry that we spent a day away from the wine villages to visit Colmar. We much preferred Strasbourg and the wine villages. Not a fan of Colmar.