France
Colmar
Six small markets and a lit-up old town; 2 nights. We have mapped 4 sights, 1 activity and 1 place to eat here, each with a reason to go.
- Places
- 8
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Late Nov – Dec 24
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- May
4 See · 1 Do · 1 Eat · 1 Shop · 1 Stay
Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg
from our route notes
27°C / 80°F avg high
5°C / 41°F avg high
about 96 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Colmar
8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Colmar across Vieille ville and Petite Venise. All 4 are free to visit.
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0SeePlace des Dominicains Christmas market
Wooden chalets line the square beside the Dominican church, under strings of stars and lit plane trees.
Tip Go after 6 pm, when the church windows and trees are lit.
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0SeePetite Venise
Half-timbered houses and restaurants lean over the Lauch canal, strung with lights for the season.
Tip The view from the rue de Turenne bridge is the classic one.
- See
Collégiale Saint-Martin
Colmar's Gothic collegiate church, with a market set up on the square around it in December.
- See
Maison des Têtes
A 1609 Renaissance house whose facade carries over a hundred carved heads; now a hotel and restaurant.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Colmar in Unterlinden.
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0DoMusée Unterlinden
A former convent museum built around the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald.
Tip Closed on Tuesdays; allow time for the cloister and the modern wing.
Eat
1 place to eat in Petite Venise, picked for groups who care about the food.
- Eat
Wistub Brenner
A long-running wine tavern on the edge of Petite Venise serving choucroute, baeckeoffe and Alsace wine by the glass.
Tip Reserve for dinner in December.
Shop
1 shop in Vieille ville for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0ShopKoïfhus market
Artisans sell ceramics, wood carving and glass inside and around the 15th-century old customs house.
Tip The indoor hall is the warmest browse in town on a cold day.
Stay
Places to stay in Colmar in Petite Venise.
Photo: Gzen92 · CC BY-SA 4.0StayHôtel Le Maréchal
A 16th-century house on the canal at Place des Six-Montagnes-Noires, dressed in lights and greenery every December.
Tip Ask for a room on the water side.
How to fit Colmar into a trip
Colmar is stop 1 of 3 on our Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg route. Follow it as-is or lift Colmar into your own plan.
Stop 1 of 3
Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg
Christmas markets in half-timbered towns
- Trip length
- 5 days
- Best season
- Late Nov – Dec 24
- Pace
- easy
- Next: Kaysersberg
Getting here and onward
- Colmar to KaysersbergKaysersberg is about 10 km / 6 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Colmar month by month
Average daily highs run from 5°C / 41°F in January to 27°C / 80°F in July. May is the wettest month, with about 96 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan5° / 41°F average high
- Feb7° / 44°F average high
- Mar12° / 53°F average high
- Apr17° / 62°F average high
- May21° / 69°F average high
- Jun25° / 77°F average high
- Jul27° / 80°F average high
- Aug26° / 79°F average high
- Sep22° / 71°F average high
- Oct17° / 62°F average high
- Nov10° / 50°F average high, in our recommended season
- Dec5° / 42°F average high, in our recommended season
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Colmar weather and the best time to visit →
Near Colmar
8 other destinations from our guides within about 250 km (155 mi), measured in a straight line.
Colmar questions, answered
How many days do you need in Colmar?
Our route notes suggest 2 nights in Colmar. On our Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 5-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 7 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Colmar best known for?
Six small markets and a lit-up old town; 2 nights. Standouts on our list: Place des Dominicains Christmas market (Wooden chalets line the square beside the Dominican church, under strings of stars and lit plane trees); Petite Venise (Half-timbered houses and restaurants lean over the Lauch canal, strung with lights for the season); Collégiale Saint-Martin (Colmar's Gothic collegiate church, with a market set up on the square around it in December).
When is the best time to visit Colmar?
Our Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg route is best Late Nov – Dec 24. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (27°C / 80°F), the coolest in January (5°C / 41°F) and the most rain in May (about 96 mm).
What are the best things to do in Colmar?
Start with Place des Dominicains Christmas market, Petite Venise, Musée Unterlinden, Collégiale Saint-Martin and Maison des Têtes. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 4 sights, 1 activity, 1 place to eat, 1 shop and 1 place to stay.
What is near Colmar?
The closest destinations in our guides are Kaysersberg (about 10 km / 6 mi), Strasbourg (about 63 km / 39 mi) and Zurich (about 118 km / 74 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Colmar with your crew
Open the Colmar, Kaysersberg & Strasbourg route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.
Plan around Colmar
- France travel hub
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- Colmar weather by month