Colmar is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department and of the subprefecture of the Colmar-Ribeauvillé arrondissement.
Country | France |
---|---|
Region | Grand Est |
Department | Haut-Rhin |
Government | |
Mayor (2020–2026) | Éric Straumann |
Area1 | 66.57 km2 (25.70 sq mi) |
Population (2017-01-01) | 69,105 |
Density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
The city is renowned for its well-preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks, and its museums, among which is the Unterlinden Museum, which houses the Isenheim Altarpiece.
Colmar is situated on the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the “capital of Alsatian wine” (capitale des vins d’Alsace).
Main sights
The cityscape of old-town Colmar is homogenous and renowned among tourists. An area that is crossed by canals of the river Lauch (which formerly served as the butcher’s, tanner’s and fishmonger’s quarter) is now called “little Venice” (la Petite Venise).
Architectural landmarks
Colmar’s secular and religious architectural landmarks reflect eight centuries of Germanic and French architecture and the adaptation of their respective stylistic language to the local customs and building materials (pink and yellow Vosges sandstone, timber framing).
Secular buildings
- Maison Adolph – 14th century (German Gothic)
- Maison Pfister – 1537 (German Renaissance).
- Maison des Chevaliers de Saint-Jean – 1608 (German Renaissance)
- Maison des Têtes – 1609 (German Renaissance)
- Ancien Hôpital – 1736–1744 (French Classicism)
- Tribunal de grande instance – 1771 (French Classicism)
- Hôtel de ville – 1790 (French Classicism)
- Cour d’Assises – 1840 (French Neoclassicism)
- Marché couvert – 1865 (French Neo-Baroque). The city’s covered market, built in stone, bricks and cast iron, still serves today.
- Préfecture – 1866 (French Neo-Baroque)
- Gare SNCF – 1905 (German Neo-Baroque)
- Cour d’appel – 1906 (German Neo-Baroque)
Religious buildings
- Église Saint-Martin,
- Église des Dominicains,
- Église Saint-Matthieu,
- Couvent des Antonins,
- Église Sainte-Catherineformer Jesuit college.
- Synagogue – 1843 (Neoclassicism)
Fountains
- Fontaine de l’Amiral Bruat – 1864 (Statue by Bartholdi)
- Fontaine Roeselmann – 1888 (Statue by Bartholdi)
- Fontaine Schwendi – 1898 (Statue by Bartholdi)
Monuments
- Monument du Général Rapp
- Monument Hirn
- Statue Les grands soutiens du monde
- Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) replica
Museums
Unterlinden Museum – one of the main museums in Alsace. Displays the Isenheim Altarpiece, a large collection of medieval, Renaissance and baroque Upper-Rhenish paintings and sculptures, archaeological artefacts, design and international modern art.
Others:
- Musée Bartholdi
- Musée d’histoire naturelle et d’ethnographie
- Musée du jouet – the town’s toy museum, founded 1993
- Musée des usines municipales – industrial and technological museum in a former factory, dedicated to the history of everyday technology.
Library
The Municipal Library of Colmar (Bibliothèque municipale de Colmar) owns one of the richest collections of incunabula in France, with more than 2,300 volumes. This is quite an exceptional number for a city that is neither the main seat of a university, nor of a college.
Transport
The small regional Colmar Airport serves Colmar.
The railway station Gare de Colmar offers connections to Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Besançon, Zürich and several regional destinations.
Education
Senior high schools in Colmar include:
- Lycée Bartholdi
- Lycée Camille Sée
- Lycée polyvalent Blaise Pascal
- Lycée polyvalent Martin Schongauer
- Lycée privé Saint-André
- Lycée professionnel privé Saint-Jean
- Ecole privée Mathias Grunewald
Colmar shares the Université de Haute-Alsace (Upper Alsace University) with the neighbouring, larger city of Mulhouse.
Economy
Colmar is an affluent city whose primary economic strength lies in the flourishing tourist industry. But it is also the seat of several large companies: Timken (European seat), Liebherr (French seat), Leitz (French seat), Capsugel France (A division of Pfizer).
Every year since 1947, Colmar is host to what is now considered as the biggest annual commercial event as well as the largest festival in Alsace, the Foire aux vins d’Alsace (Alsacian wine fair).