Fun fact: Colmar, located in the Alsace region of France, is where the designer of the Statue of Liberty was from. But other than these cute little arrows guiding you around the hotspots of the small town, it was far more boastful of its Alsatian heritage.
It is also just a cheap hour FlixBus ride away from my current home of Strasbourg (or 30 minutes by train for not many euros more), and the perfect place for a day trip of wandering around, taking photos, eating crepes and drinking hot chocolate. Because that is exactly what we did.
It was All Saint’s Day (1st November) when we visited, a public holiday in France, so many places were closed, which resulted in us eating our crepes on a bench under the chilly November “sun”. I also got runny egg all over me because I am 24 going on 4 years old. But because it is not a huge city, it was good to visit on a public holiday and save the bigger places for other days.
With remnants of Halloween still around, sights of Christmas were already starting to crop up – which means Christmas markets and gluhwein are just around the corner. The Alsace region seems the perfect place to experience the Christmas season: the festive decor, treats, and general fairytale vibe embodies that Christmas spirit.
Colmar is also famous for its Little Venice, a beautiful section of the old town which attracts tourists due to the colourful buildings boasting shops and restaurants alongside the canal. Although it may not feel as authentic as other parts of the city, it is too pretty to miss.
There are of course many shops and museums, but we had a limited time and instead chose to get lost wandering down little streets. It is incredibly similar to Strasbourg, but smaller, and on the Alsatian Wine Route. If you want a relaxed trip, there are plenty of fancy looking hotels to spend a night or two also. But, hoping on a bus or train and back also does the tick.
Inside a Mind 