[2024 Colmar Attraction] Travel Guide for Vieux Colmar (Updated Dec)

✨A French fairy tale town, it's like stepping into Howl's Moving Castle✨ 🪄When you see the town in this picture, do you feel a sense of déjà vu? If you are familiar with Hayao Miyazaki's work 'Howl's Moving Castle', then this scene will not be unfamiliar to you😉. Remember when Sophie was walking alone on the path, being teased by two soldiers, and Howl descended from the sky like a hero🕺, with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a cloak, appearing beside Sophie. He took Sophie dancing in the air above the town, lightly stepping over the rooftops, overlooking the entire town, everything was dreamily beautiful💕. 👧The most impressive to me was the scene where they danced in the air🎈, those rows of pointed timber-framed houses, scattered in an orderly fashion, looking down from above, both romantic and spectacular🎆. And this scene is not a figment of Grandpa Miyazaki's imagination, its prototype is the town of Colmar on the Alsace Wine Route in France! Compare the pictures, isn't it almost identical😲! Those timber-framed houses are just like two peas in a pod! Here, it seems that you can see Howl carrying Sophie flying over the rooftops🕊️! 🏡Over the past millennium, the Alsace region has changed hands between France and Germany several times, its history is an epic of German-French contradictions and integration📚. Speaking of Alsace, does it feel familiar to you🤔? Let's read the text below together and see if it can evoke fragments of your memory📃: 'After the grammar lesson, we started the handwriting class📝. That day, Mr. Hamel gave us new copybooks, all with beautiful round script: 'France' 'Alsace' 'France' 'Alsace'. These copybooks hung on the iron rods of our desks, like many small national flags fluttering in the classroom🚩. Everyone was so focused, the classroom was unbelievably quiet🎵!' 'The Last Lesson' cast a melancholic and solemn hue over Alsace😢. But in fact, before the 17th century, the Alsace region belonged to the Holy Roman Empire (the predecessor of Germany), and people mainly spoke German📄. After the famous Thirty Years' War in Europe, Alsace came under French rule. And in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, France was defeated, and Alsace belonged to Prussia, until Germany was defeated in World War II, Alsace returned to the arms of France💪, and formed the current border between the two countries along the Rhine River🗺️. 📖If cities can also be mixed-race, then Colmar is undoubtedly a beautiful town with German-French mixed blood🌸. Carefully calculated, this place belonged to Germany for a longer time than it belonged to France. This also explains why Colmar's architectural style is full of Germanic charm🏰, those timber-framed houses and the magnificent Gothic churches with pointed spires all bear strong Germanic marks🎨, as well as many street names with German suffixes and the dialect mixed with German and French, all have a reasonable explanation🤝. ✨Colmar also has many attractions worth visiting🎡, such as the Little Venice area, where the waterways crisscross, and the colorful timber-framed houses are reflected in the water, picturesque🖼️; there is also the Unterlinden Museum, which displays the rich history and culture of the Alsace region📜; and the Saint Martin Church, whose towering spires and exquisite carvings are awe-inspiring👏. Come to Colmar and experience the unique charm of this fairy tale town💖!

| Colmar. 📖Colmar is a charming and romantic town that is very popular with the public. It is located in the east of the Alsace region in northeastern France, just a few kilometers from the German border. 🌈Colmar's unique Alsatian architecture, ancient canals, special bridges, and famous half-timbered houses are all very attractive. I love the multi-faceted roofs made of wood, each with a different shape. The houses in the town are colorful, and each has wooden windows and balconies decorated with geraniums. Every household has bright flowers and trees on their windowsills. ⌚️Due to time constraints, I didn't have time to explore in depth. After a quick visit, I drove for ten minutes to Eguisheim, the most beautiful town in France. It is located about 6 to 7 kilometers southwest of Colmar and is a famous vineyard area in the Alsace region, known as the "cradle of Alsatian wine." 🪵Eguisheim was built in the Middle Ages, and the buildings in the town still retain a strong medieval flavor, telling mysterious ancient stories. Since 2003, Eguisheim has been rated as "the most beautiful town in France." In 2013, Eguisheim was rated as "the most popular town in France." The two towns can be visited together, each with its own characteristics, and it can save time.

Colmar is very close to Eguisheim and is an ancient town near the French-German border. The main color tone of this town is the picturesque half-timbered houses, complemented by canal waterscapes, ancient stone arch bridges, and modern iron bridges, all of which are quite remarkable. More notably, an outstanding sculptor was born here, who sculpted the Statue of Liberty in New York, making it the birthplace of the Statue of Liberty. The rich artistic atmosphere and profound cultural heritage inject immortal vitality into this town. Riding a sightseeing train through the streets and alleys of the town feels like entering a fairy tale world untouched by the mundane. The quaint colorful buildings, oddly shaped multi-sloped roofs, majestic churches, castles from Miyazaki's films, exquisite old customs houses, and ancient museums... A narrow canal runs through the town, reflecting its colors on the water surface. The ripples created by flower boats, the occasional falling petals from window displays, all add a touch of delicacy and liveliness to the town. Still unsatisfied, I got off the train and walked along the canal, finally finding the town's earthly charm at the riverside market, with seafood condiments, fruit and vegetable snacks, bread, ice cream... and the friendliness and enthusiasm in people's eyes.

On July 12, I rested in the room for a day, probably because I walked too much and my feet hurt. On July 13, the 25th day of the European trip, the weather was clear and the temperature was over 20 degrees. I took a train from Strasbourg to Colmar. Colmar is a city in Alsace, northeastern France, and the capital of the Haut-Rhin department. Colmar is also known as the "Venice of France". The environment there is beautiful, and the rustic Alsatian style is perfectly preserved. The "half-timbered houses" are like fairy tale cottages, the red and black Alsatian national costumes, the practical and beautiful Alsatian pottery, the simple Alsatian stew, the small bridges and flowing water, and the clusters of flowers make people linger. The scenes in Hayao Miyazaki's animation "Howl's Moving Castle" were designed based on Colmar. This is one of the most romantic areas, named for its canals and flower boats. The town is full of small wooden houses with Alsatian characteristics, with a unique fairy tale color. Colmar is also the hometown of Bartholdi, the author of the Statue of Liberty in New York. At the roundabout in Colmar, there is a small Statue of Liberty standing, and you can look at the goddess up close from the bus.

This is the place where Sophie and Howl from Miyazaki's 'Howl's Moving Castle' met, and it is also the hometown of Bartholdi, the creator of the Statue of Liberty. Because of its charming water town atmosphere, the southeast corner is known as 'Little Venice'. Colorful fairy-tale cottages, cobblestone alleys, and the faint aroma of wine in the air invite us to a romantic French pastoral encounter.

Weekend plans to go to the Stuttgart outlet to buy Monclar down jackets, only to realize it was a holiday before departure, and immediately decided to detour to Alsace. Bergheim is a small village located in the Alsace region of France, north of the flower city Colmar, about 20 minutes by car. The architecture is typical Alsace style, many are dilapidated, but you can still see the past style. Achillée Winery, Alsace is famous for its white wine, especially Riesling. The visit today is located in the small town of Scherwiller in Alsace. The winery and artists have created a contemporary style Achillee wine bar. Wine tasting is 9 euros per person, 5 kinds of wine, Riesling is not to mention, there is also a special Orange Wine (skin brewing), which is impressive. Colmar is located on the German-French border and was once the territory of Alsace. It has experienced the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV's invasion, the Franco-Prussian War, the First and Second World Wars. Fortunately, the town was spared from the war, and now you can see the architecture with the taste of the Middle Ages and the unique characteristics of the German-French fusion.

Located in the northeast of France, Colmar is a picturesque destination. This enchanting land blends the beauty of nature, a long history, and a rich culture, providing visitors with a vivid and unforgettable experience. The beautiful scenery of Colmar stems from its pleasant climate and diverse landscape. Walking among the lush vineyards is like being in a painter's palette, with grapevines gently swaying in the breeze. The diverse nature reserves showcase the ecological beauty of Colmar, with mountains, lakes, and forests interwoven into a grand canvas. This ancient city is full of historical traces, with old buildings and cobblestone alleys sketching the vicissitudes of time. The Colmar Cathedral is a dazzling gem of this city, its magnificent architectural style and exquisite carvings are astonishing. Stepping into the city center square, it's like traveling through time, feeling the tranquil atmosphere of the Middle Ages. When night falls, Colmar transforms into a vibrant city of night. Neon-lit cafes and restaurants exude enticing aromas, and street performers offer brilliant performances for night walkers. The night in Colmar is full of romantic atmosphere, making people indulge in this charming city. In general, Colmar attracts tourists with its splendid scenery, long history, and rich culture. It is a treasure worth exploring, and every step is a discovery of beauty.

Is the small town of Colmar in France your dream fairy tale world?