Colmar. A fabulous city in France with German roots and Italian Venice

Colmar is a beautiful little city in northeast parts of France. This - hometown the famous painter and engraver Martin Schongoer and the sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, who designed the famous Statue of Liberty. Some say Colmar is the best beautiful city in Europe and it’s hard to argue with this opinion

Colmar is a picturesque Alsatian city, with beautifully preserved ancient quarters that immerse you in the Middle Ages. The city has a huge number of amazingly beautiful buildings that were built in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Despite the fact that the city is quite small, it looks like a large museum under open air. However, it is the third city in Alsace in terms of size, as well as in terms of population.

Here you can see any of the architectural styles, from Gothic to postmodernism. There is also a special climate that makes the city the driest in all of France.

There are many events held in the city important events and festivals, jazz festival, wine festival, film festival and many others interesting events, attracting tourists from all over the world. Tourists also enjoy visiting 5 city museums and the exhibition complex

If you decide to visit France, do not forget that you need to renew or renew your passport in advance, as this usually takes some time. By taking care of the registration in advance, you can avoid many problems and feel comfortable before traveling to France. If you don’t want to waste time on your own, contact specialists from

Coifhus or the Old Customs House in the Alsatian city of Colmar is the oldest building that is famous monument architecture. Located on the Old Customs Square.

In fact, Coifhus is a complex of three buildings built in 1480. The main, oldest, rectangular house housed the main customs service, duty collection and goods inspection points. Another building, an intermediate one, had six bays with an arcade on the ground floor, the third was the northern extension, adjacent to the building on the Grand Rue. They served as warehouses for Colmar merchants to store their valuables.

The wooden gallery is built on stone columns and is approached by a staircase made from a beautiful 16th-century turret with a tiled dome and spire. The entrance to it is decorated with a door with Renaissance style decor. Coifhus is distinguished by its original colored tiled roof. The northern portal is given beauty by a double-headed eagle - a symbol of the Habsburg dynasty. Gothic windows are decorated with moldings and figured imposts.

Now, like many centuries ago, Coifhus is considered the center of business life in Colmar. At various times, meetings of deputies of the Decapolis, the State Council and the court were held here. Nowadays various congresses, exhibitions are held, and in December there is a Christmas market. After restoration in 2002, the building completely regained its elegant original appearance.

House-Museum of Auguste Bartholdi

IN historical region France Alsace, in the city of Colmar in 1922 the Bartholdi Museum was opened. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) is an outstanding French sculptor, author of 35 famous sculptures that are located around the world. Of these, the most famous ones that glorified him stand out - the Statue of Liberty in New York (1886), the “Lion of Belfort” (1880) in Belfort, “Switzerland Defending Strasbourg” (1895) in Strasbourg, etc.

The museum is housed in a three-story mansion where Bartholdi was born and lived for some time. The building itself can be considered historical monuments France, since it was built in the 15th century with two Renaissance portals, and in the 19th century Bartholdi himself added his decorations. On the sides of the main entrance there are bas-reliefs of two heraldic lions, and in the center there is a figure of a sitting ram. In the courtyard you can see the bronze composition “The Great Foundations of the World” (1902), which is one of Bartholdi’s last creations and represents sculptural group allegorical figures - Labor, Justice and Patriotism. As the master believed, it is on these pillars that the world rests.

The museum exhibition itself includes hundreds of sketches and models various works Bartholdi. The history of the work on the Statue of Liberty is presented in the large hall, and the entire “American cycle” occupies an entire floor. The museum houses many drawings, sketches, busts, paintings and other documents of Bartholdi. The interior of some rooms is filled with furniture and personal belongings of the sculptor, which were given by his widow Jeanne-Emilia in 1907.

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House of Heads

The House of Heads is an outstanding building in Colmar, built in the German Renaissance style. The house got its name from the sculptures of heads and 111 masks that decorate the façade and the three-story bay window. A small tin sculpture of a cooper, installed on the pediment of the house, suggests that for some time there was a wine exchange in it.

The House of Heads was built at the beginning of the 17th century for Anton Burger, a wealthy nobleman and the first magistrate of Colmar. Now the house of heads houses a hotel and restaurant.

After visiting Colmar, you should definitely see this amazing house with many faces depicting joy, fun, sadness, fear, hatred and other human emotions, striking in their imagination and fascination.

St. Martin's Church is one of the largest Catholic churches in the Upper Rhine. The temple was built in the 14th century on the site of an old temple from the 10th century according to the design of the architect Guillaume of Marburg.

Previously, the temple housed a chapter - a council of clergy under the bishop, but after the Great French Revolution it was abolished. It has been a parish church since 1802, despite the fact that it is sometimes mistakenly considered a cathedral.

The church has portals decorated with ancient sculptures. The roof of the temple is covered with colored tiles, and massive columns give the facade a heavy appearance. The sundial tower on the western façade bears the inscription "Memento Mori". Inside the temple, sculptures of the Mother of God, stained glass windows, an altar, as well as two ancient organs of the 18th and 20th centuries have been preserved.

Quarter "Little Venice"

"Little Venice" is a small fairy-tale quarter located in the center of Colmar. It is cut by canals and built up with old small half-timbered houses. Dozens of graceful bridges that span the waters of the Loches River also remind you of Venice.

In ancient times, leather tanners and fishermen settled here, and currently this place is one of the most beautiful and cozy areas of the city. An interesting fact is that it was here in 1674 that the march of the troops of Louis XIV took place.

These days, numerous piers have been successfully converted into terraces of restaurants, and neat little Alsatian houses of the 14th-18th centuries have been restored and look like new. Graceful gondolas scurry along the canals every now and then, which gives this place an even greater resemblance to Venice. Best views The picturesque city ensembles open from the Tanners Street and the Fish Merchants Embankment, as well as from two bridges: on the Square of the Six Black Mountains and on the Boulevard Saint-Pierre.

Tanners' Quarter

In Alsace there is a very interesting place called the Tanners' Quarter, which stretches along the Gerberbach canal. The tall and narrow half-timbered houses here were built mainly in the 17th-18th centuries, when only tanners lived in this quarter. The attics of their houses had a unique design - they had a row of windows with ledges for ventilation and were adapted so that artisans could dry leather goods there without any problems.

Tanners' quarters were mainly located near canals and rivers, which was due to the need for constant use of water for washing and soaking leather. Colmar's historic Tanners' Quarter was completely restored in the 1970s. It is a listed cultural monument World Heritage UNESCO.

Getting here will not be problematic, but it will take 50 - 60 minutes from the center of Colmar, which is due to the remote location of the quarter. In ancient times, the settlements of leather craftsmen were located outside of Colmar, in order to avoid unpleasant odors and the spread of infection in the city.

Covered market of Colmar

Colmar's covered market is one of the most... interesting places in the Kozhevniki area. It was built in the mid-19th century right on the Loches River according to the design of the famous Alsatian sculptor and architect Louis-Michel Boltz.

In ancient times, merchants sailed to the main entrance of the bazaar in boats, where they slowly unloaded their goods. The building was built of sandstone and brick with a stable metal frame supported by tall cast iron columns. Such indoor markets are one of the important attractions of France, as they provide an opportunity not only to purchase fresh fruit and quality clothing, but also to get acquainted with everyday life and traditions local residents.

Currently, in the covered market of Colmar you can buy everything your heart desires - from good strong wine to Franco-German delicacies and Alsatian cheese. In September 2010, a major reconstruction of the structure was carried out, after which the market became even more attractive. You can visit it every day, except Sunday and Monday.

The most popular attractions in Colmar with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places for visiting famous places Colmar on our website.

The city of Colmar in France is rightfully famous as one of the most cozy places old Europe. Located in the northeast of the country in the province of Alsace, the city changed owners more than once during the 7th centuries of its existence, moving from the French to the Germans and back. In 1918, Colmar finally became part of France. At one time, Voltaire said that this city is “half French, half German.”

Walking through the quiet, calm streets of Colmar, you get the feeling of being lost in time. Half-timbered houses surrounded by greenery of ivy and grapes, spiers and towers Gothic cathedrals, blue lines of canals in “Little Venice” - everything around is saturated with the aroma of the Middle Ages. The interweaving of eras and styles makes the town extremely attractive to tourists who wander in crowds along the narrow streets, looking at quaint fairy-tale houses, sculptures and signs, making beautiful photos as a keepsake.

See with my own eyes

Once in France and in Alsace, it is worth making a short trip from Strasbourg to Colmar to see this fabulous town with your own eyes and stroll through its narrow streets, enjoying the architectural creations of the masters of the German Renaissance.

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There are few attractions in Colmar, but they are all of interest to inquisitive tourist fascinated by history.

IN The building of the Dominican monastery houses the main city museum Unterlinden, whose collection includes paintings, engravings, weapons and antique furniture from different eras. The pride of the museum is the Izengi Altar by Matthias Grunewald, which is a masterpiece of world significance.

Follow the peach poodles, Neo, and you'll see a lot more of the beautiful Colmar. I heeded Morpheus’s advice and, following the lady with the dogs, turned right from Bolshaya Street towards the center. By and large, I haven’t started walking around Colmar yet, although I managed to write two huge reports. So, I took a walk along one street and walked along the Lauch embankment. It was time to go to the very center of the historical part of Colmar.

The starting point for this part of the walk around Colmar was again Six Black Mountains Square. About the square and the fountain on it, but I liked the romantic and gloomy name of the square so much that I mentioned it again.

Peeking out from the right Lyceum Bartholdi. Perhaps this is the most famous native of Colmar. Does everyone know who the author of the Statue of Liberty in New York is?

I got lost a little through the streets in the western part of Colmar. There are no special attractions here, but the streets and courtyards themselves are very picturesque.

On the fifth day of the trip, I began to miss female company and attention. This unfulfilled need sublimated into the fact that I began to hunt female cyclists. Well, in the sense of trying to photograph them.

So, the first attraction in this series is Voltaire's house. The famous philosopher of the 18th century lived here for almost a year and remained in complete “delight” with his home and with the whole of Colmar. “A nasty house in an even nasty little town,” is how he described the place. He was struck by the extreme piety of the Colmarians and at the same time their bad character: “They go to church every day and constantly confess, but at the same time they hate each other.”

For the first time on the trip, one of my companions took more photos than me. At the same time, my friend is also a minimalist esthete, he filmed everything exclusively on his mobile phone.

In the same courtyard as Voltaire's house there is a former brewery. Hops were dried in this impressive birdhouse. The Mogendovid in the window of the brewery building has nothing to do with Jews. In Colmar, the six-pointed star was a symbol of innkeepers and brewers.

Next door is another attraction - a covered wooden gallery from the 16th century.

A riot of November colors! In the background you can see another object named Bartholdi sculpture, this time a restaurant.

Another cyclist. She was too fast for my camera.

I also secretly photographed girls without bicycles. But because of the stealth, the photos turned out so-so, here is one that is tolerable.

In pursuit of girls, I accidentally fell outside the Old Town and ended up on a huge Champ de Mars. We will take a walk through it in the final part of the report on Colmar. For now I'll just show Monument to Uncle Ansi. This is the pseudonym of the artist Jean-Jacques Waltz, who was born and died in Colmar. He was an ardent patriot of Alsace and France. By and large, ninety percent of Alsatian souvenirs will exploit his creativity in one way or another. I bought a bottle of Gewürztraminer as a gift and there was a picture of Annecy on the label, I bought a box of cookies - and there was Annecy. In addition, eight signs of his work survived in Colmar. The most complete collection of his works is in.

Already in November, Colmar begins to prepare for Christmas.

In place of these houses there was a city wall, i.e. I'm already standing outside medieval Colmar. In the building on the right, a medieval courtyard (from five centuries ago) has survived; a long secret passage leads to it. I marked it, but somehow forgot to go there.

It is difficult to identify a central place in Colmar. There are several contenders for this title. One of them is the area around Dominican Church.

And here is the Dominican Church itself. Outwardly quite strict and simple. It's worth going inside to see the local masterpiece "Madonna of the Roses" by Martin Schongauer (15th century).

Neo-Gothic portal of the 19th century.

In Colmar there is a very powerful Unterlinden Museum. Considered one of the coolest in France. But I only had five hours to spend in Colmar, and that’s not enough even for a simple walk. In general, I didn’t go.

On the left, one of the most beautiful houses in Colmar is located at the beginning of the Rue des Heads. The facade is very elegant, an elegant balcony.

Street of Heads, a shop that sells chocolate heads. Coincidence? Don't think!

And the answer is that there is another attraction on this street House of Heads(1609). It has an absolutely crazy façade decor; in particular, the house is decorated with 106 heads, hence its name.

At the top of the Golovodome there is a figurine of the Cupbearer, made by, as you may already guess, that same Bartholdi.

Most impressive is the bay window.

Inside the Golov house is cozy courtyard, Free admission.

In fact, I was already walking around Colmar for the third day. It’s just that the first two walks took place in the evening or at night after traveling around. Therefore, I already knew my way around the city quite well, especially since the center is not that big. From time to time we came across acquaintances at home. Let's say we once had dinner in this red half-timbered Pfeffel restaurant.

Since we started talking about food, I’ll tell you what Alsatian cuisine I managed to try in Colmar. The first dish is bikof(Baeckeoffe). Three types of meat (lamb, beef and pork), aged in white wine and stewed with potatoes. , they brought me a whole tub of this same bikof, so I again barely crawled out of the restaurant. But unlike choucroute, I didn’t like bikof, I don’t like stewed meat with potatoes, cabbage, yes. Attentive readers immediately noticed that the plate says Composer Georg, not Pfeffel. Indeed, I took this at another restaurant.

And in Pfeffel I took meat snails Fleischschneke, also a typical Alsatian dish. The minced meat is wrapped in very thick noodle dough and then the whole thing is cut into “snails”. But again, the roll didn’t work out for me, I ate it just for show, it was too rustic food. Pay attention to the interesting wine glasses with green stems. It’s also an Alsatian theme; I drank Gewürztraminer exclusively from glasses like these. Before leaving, I bought six pieces for my home, but as it turned out, the Gewürztraminer I loved is rarely sold in Moscow stores or costs ten (!) times more than in Alsace. So for now the glasses are idle.

Here we parted company with a friend. He went to lunch, and I decided to fanatically walk around the entire center of Colmar. I didn’t want to waste a whole hour on lunch.

The square in front of the Unterlinden Museum.

Remember, I wrote about such decoration in the form (on the facades of half-timbered houses? If you forgot, then I remind you that it is called a “curule chair” (similar in outline) and only people of noble origin had the right to such decoration. That is In the house on the right lived a small, but well-born guy.

Colmar – interesting city France, in the Alsace region. It is here that tourists from many countries come to enjoy the half-timbered architecture and small houses.

If you wish, you can even visit local museums, which will surprise you with their rich exhibitions. Despite its provincial scale, you can still enjoy the interesting facets of the city and understand how much it personifies the real France. Colmar surprises with its beauty thanks to its winding streets, canals and colorful buildings.

Unterlinden is an art museum in the French city of Colmar. The exhibition includes sacred works of art created in the period from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Story art world is revealed in an interesting way thanks to the valuable exhibition of the Unterlinden Museum.

Location: 1 - Rue des Unterlinden.

"Little Venice" is one of the most interesting and unique areas of Colmar. The best way to see the sights in this corner of the city is from a gondola, as it is in such conditions that the impeccable panorama becomes noticeable.

“Little Venice” gets used to two neighborhoods where fishermen and tanners lived. Previously, the area did not look so romantic and beautiful, but in the 1970s, large-scale restoration efforts were carried out. Now the quarter is recognized as a historical monument and is especially loved by tourists. Travelers can try small local restaurants and enjoy the beauty of the half-timbered houses lining the canals. In addition, there are bridges across the canals where you can take romantic photos.

“Little Venice” is a unique highlight of Colmar.

The Bartholdi Museum is dedicated to one of the most famous natives of Colmar. It is important to note that thanks to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, such a famous landmark as the Statue of Liberty appeared in New York. In Colmar you can see a copy of the Statue of Liberty and other monuments created by Bartholdi.

Since 1922, a museum dedicated to the life and creative path of Bartholdi has been operating in Colmar. Personal belongings of the famous sculptor, sketches, photographs of completed works, important documents, sketches and models, drawings of monuments are stored here. At the same time, the exhibition on the second floor is intended to recreate the atmosphere of the apartment in Paris, where Bartholdi immigrated. On the third floor you can see an exhibition that allows you to understand the specifics of the creation of the Statue of Liberty, which is the most famous work Bartholdi. As a result, visitors get the opportunity to get a complete impression of the talented French sculptor.

Location: 32 - Rue des Marchands.

The Pfister House is one of the most worthy attractions French city Colmar. The house was built in 1537, as indicated by the plaque carved on the turret. For a long time the building was known under the name “At the Red Rooster”, but the renaming took place in the second half of the 19th century, when the Pfister family moved here.

The house is distinguished by the following design:

• The main material is yellow sandstone, which immediately gives an elegant touch.
• The presence of frescoes made on various topics.
• Allegorical figures – Faith and Justice.
• Covered bay windows located on the second and third floors.
• Corner balcony gallery, created taking into account the best principles of the Gothic style.
• The first floor is designed in the form of an arcade with columns.
• A tent-shaped spire with a pointed shape.

In 1927, the Pfister House was officially included in the list of historical and cultural monuments of France.

Location: Rue des Marchands - 11.

The House of Heads is a unique building in Colmar, created taking into account the principles of the German Renaissance. The building is decorated with sculptures of heads and masks, which can be found on the facades and bay window. On the pediment there is a sculpture of a cooper, symbolizing that the house previously housed a wine exchange. Today, the house of heads houses a hotel and restaurant.

Location: Rue des Têtes - 19.

The Toy Museum will be interesting not only for children, but also for adults. Since 1993 there has been active development museum center. Initially, 1,500 exhibits were presented here, but now the collection surprises with its size.

Near the entrance there is Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage.

On the ground floor, it is customary to hold temporary exhibitions dedicated to different thematic areas or organized by toy brands. In addition, here you can see rocking horses and mechanical toys.

The second floor is a real kingdom of dolls from different countries peace. Moreover, various doll accessories are presented here, including dishes, furniture, and clothes. The most valuable exhibits include a collection of puppets created in the 18th century. A separate stand is dedicated to Barbie, and another one is dedicated to firefighting equipment.

The third floor is a kind of railway depot for trains, where there are up to one and a half hundred of them. The tracks are laid across toy landscapes and even pass through unique tunnels. Trains, in turn, arrive at toy stations.

The exhibition also includes Lego sets, various Board games, soft animals, airplanes. The Toy Museum will give you an amazing experience.

Location: 40 - Rue Vauban.

The Church of Saint Martin is considered one of the most important religious sites in Colmar. The history of the monastery began in the 11th century, when Benedictine monks built a small church. In the next century, it was possible to begin construction of the collegiate church thanks to the consent of Pope Gregory IX, and construction activities continued until the second half of the 14th century. The main material was yellow sandstone, which was successfully and actively mined near Colmar.

Changes in the appearance of the church occurred in the second half of the 16th century. The transformation was necessary after a fire damaged the roof and top of the religious landmark.

The church is decorated with numerous sculptures and medieval stained glass windows with scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. In addition, an ancient astronomical clock is installed on one of the towers.

Location: 21 - Place de la Cathédrale.

The most active period in the history of the Church of St. Matthew was the 16th - 18th centuries, when the religious object repeatedly passed from Catholics to Protestants. It was only in 1795 that the church was finally recognized as Protestant.

In fact, the history of the church began much earlier, and initially the religious monastery belonged to the Franciscans. Only in the 16th century, when almost all the inhabitants of the temple died from the plague, was the religious monastery transferred to the city authorities, turned into a hospital and began to be used for Lutheran services. After this, a kind of struggle began between Catholics and Protestants.

Nowadays, every year in the church they hold International festival music, which is determined by the decent implementation of acoustics. Visitors can see ancient stained glass windows, an 18th century organ, and works of medieval painting.

Location: 3 - Grand Rue.

Museum natural history has been in existence since 1860. Here are rich collections in the following areas:

• Botany.
• Geology.
• Mineralogy.
• Paleontology.
• Ethnography.
• Zoology.

Visitors can see different plants, rocks and minerals, bones of ancient mammals, and artifacts created by Aboriginal people from different continents of the world. The Natural History Museum allows you to think about how not only France developed, but also about the history of the whole world.

Location: 1 - rue d'Unterlinden.

The tanners' quarter surprises with half-timbered houses that were built in the 17th - 18th centuries. Tanners' houses had special attics, which had a row of windows with ledges for the ventilation system. As a result, artisans could dry their leather items without any problems. Houses were often located near canals and rivers, since water was constantly needed to wash and soak the skin.

The tanners' quarter was restored, after which it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Location: Rue des Tanneurs.

Lebed's Pharmacy is one of the oldest city pharmacies. The building, painted milky, immediately stands out to passersby. However, the main feature is the forged thematic sign that distinguishes the pharmacy from other medical buildings. The pharmacy is popular among local residents and tourists, because here you can not only appreciate the architectural design of the building, but also buy high-quality licensed drugs.

Colmar is an interesting French town that surprises with its impeccable architecture and significant historical sites.