Devotees of the Alsace region of France
know that Colmar is one of its most beautiful cities and, as such,
deserves more than a rushed visit. But thanks to Colmar's proximity
to Strasbourg (50 miles separates the two cities), it is an
appealing side trip for those with even just a day to spare.
With this in mind,
I recently visited the city for a day, filled with great
expectations. After all, Colmar's reputation is such that to miss
it during a trip to Alsace is akin to a first-time visitor to Paris
passing up the Eiffel Tower.
From first glance,
the town, with its Hansel-and-Gretel architecture, cobblestone
streets and colorful tile roofs, did not disappoint. Photo
opportunities were abundant, including picturesque squares; a
surprisingly large pedestrian zone surrounded by medieval and
Renaissance buildings; and flower-covered, tiny bridges over a
network of mirror-like canals.
Considering that
Colmar is in Alsace, a region that has changed hands many times,
often violently, between France and Germany, the city is remarkably
well preserved. That's despite having seen action in both world
wars.
Back in time
The Old Town, or La
Vieille Ville, is the place to start any serious exploration of
Colmar. Visitors can see the sights just by wandering this section
of the city, but if you have time to see one historical building,
the one to choose has to be la Maison des Tetes on Rue des Tetes, a
17th century home that, as its name implies, is decorated with more
than 100 statues of heads. It now serves as a hotel.
Next door is the
premier art venue in the city, the Unterlinden Museum, situated in
a Dominican convent that dates back to the 13th century. The convent was a hotbed of
Rhine mysticism in the Middle Ages. During the French Revolution,
its nuns fled and the building fell into ruin for a century and a
half.
The Unterlinden was
saved in the mid-19th century by local scholar Louis Hugot and has
been in operation as a museum since 1953. While there is a nice
selection of decorative arts and sculptures in the museum, those
pressed for time should head directly to the Isenheim Altarpiece,
an eerie 16th century work by painter Mathias Grunewald and
sculptor Nicolas de Haguenau. The multipaneled piece depicts the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ in grim detail when closed and his
resurrection in bright colors when open.
To preserve the
work and keep people from opening and closing the panels, the
panels are exhibited separately for easier viewing.
Another top
attraction in the city is the Bartholdi Museum in the birthplace of
favorite son Auguste Bartholdi, famous for creating the Statue of
Liberty. The museum exhibits statues, busts and original models of
the artist's works.
Another well-known
Bartholdi work, a statue of a young boy, graces the Schwendi
Fountain in Colmar's Old Town.
Dining in Colmar
Like any Alsatian
city worth its salt, Colmar takes cuisine seriously, and I made
time during my stay to pay homage to the regional fare.
As Alsace is known
for foie gras, you can expect top restaurants to feature the dish
as an appetizer.
In Alsace, there is
a German influence in cooking and in the names of dishes. A local
specialty is baeckeoffe, a hearty meat-and-potato stew. Kougelhopf
is a cake made with raisins, almonds and cherry brandy.
I dined at Le
Rendez-Vous de Chasse, a one-Michelin-star restaurant in the Best
Western Grand Hotel Bristol across from the rail
station.
Sure enough, my
appetizer was foie gras served with apricot chutney, but I could
also have tried the venison starter with celery and walnut salad or
frog and wild mushroom ravioli.
Main course choices
included lobster ravioli, pheasant with braised cabbage or a rack
of lamb with a tomato tart.
For dessert I had
the rhubarb confit with orange zest and mascarpone with strawberry
sorbet, but I could also have chosen creme brulee or fresh figs
stuffed with pistachio cream.
Because Alsace is
serious wine country, all this bounty was accompanied by regional
wines, in my case a Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hatschbourg 2003 and a
Pinot Noir Rouge d'Alsace C. Lorentz/Bergheim 2003.
Food lovers who
want to buy local products will find shops in Colmar designed for
just that purpose, including foie gras at La Ferme on Rue des Tetes
and Munster and farmer cheeses at La Fromagerie Saint-Nicolas on
Rue Saint-Nicholas.
But given its
location on the Alsace Wine Route, the shops catering to oenophiles
abound, including Au Coeur du Vieux Colmar on Rue Schwendi, Maison
Martin Jund on Rue de l'Ange and Vins et Cremants d'Alsace on Rue
du Stauffen.
Visitors to the
wine shops, known in France as caveaux, can taste various vintages
and purchase bottles packaged for travel.
Anyone visiting
Colmar who can stay overnight should make every effort to do so, as
the architectural treasures of the city are illuminated at
night.
Even better, plan a
stay during the Colmar International Music Festival, which takes
place in July and draws international musicians for several days of
performances.
In winter, the top
event is the Christmas Market from the end of November to Dec. 31,
featuring music, dining and an open-air ice skating
rink.
For more on tourism
in Colmar, visit www.ot-colmar.fr or www.tourisme-alsace.com.
To
contact reporter Felicity Long, send e-mail to [email protected].