Christmas in Colmar
Colmar holds six Christmas markets, from 23 November to 29 December in 2026, and the Colmar area celebrates Christmas from late November to early January. The town is lit up from nightfall on Fridays and Saturdays all year, and every evening during the International Festival, the Regional Alsace Wine Fair and Christmas in Colmar.
What to see in Colmar
Little Venice has become a favourite spot for photographers from all over the world, and the Tanners district is recognisable by its grand white-fronted houses.
The Unterlinden Museum occupies a former convent of Dominican nuns founded in 1252 and holds the Isenheim Altarpiece, carved by Nicolas de Haguenau around 1510 and painted by Mathias Grünewald from 1512 to 1516.
The 16th-century Pfister House has an ornate oriel, painted murals and a long wooden gallery, while the 17th-century House of Heads, in German Renaissance style, is decorated with 111 masks. The Koïfhus, or Old Customs House, completed in 1480, is the oldest public building in the town, and Auguste Bartholdi's birthplace houses a museum on three floors, where three rooms are devoted to his American monuments, including Liberty Enlightening the World.
St Martin's Collegiate Church, a major work of Gothic architecture in Alsace built in the 13th and 14th centuries, is undergoing a large-scale restoration due to run until 2030.
Day trips from Colmar
Colmar is a base for exploring the towns and villages of the wine region, such as Turckheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Eguisheim, and castles such as Haut-Koenigsbourg and Hohlandsbourg.
The Private Tour: Strasbourg, Colmar and Riquewihr Full-Day combines Colmar with Riquewihr, and the Colmar Self-Guided Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt covers the town itself.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Colmar from the airports?
Colmar is 70 km (43 miles) from both Strasbourg-Entzheim airport and the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, and 70 km (43 miles) from Strasbourg.
What is the Alsace Wine Route?
A route inaugurated in 1953 that runs for 170 km (110 miles) from Marlenheim to Thann.
