Picture-perfect towns are located throughout the Alsace region of France including Colmar and Strasbourg. They are filled with half-timbered houses, overflowing flower pots, and lovely street cafes and look like they were plucked right out of a fairytale.
The Alsace region in France which shares its border with Germany along the Riene River looks like a real-life fairytale. The colorful half-timbered houses with beautiful window shutters and potted flowers line cobblestone streets and little canals. The best part is that both Colmar and Strasbourg can be reached from Paris by train in about 2 hours making it a wonderful day trip from Paris or add to your trip.
Colmar
One of France’s cutest little towns, Colmar is not only beautiful but full of great hospitality. We really loved the small-town feel. Colmar was much calmer, less touristy than Strasbourg in my opinion.
Things to do in Colmar:
- Walk through old town, wander the windy cobblestone streets and admire the beautiful, colorful half-timbered houses. Many of the streets in old town are pedestrian-only.
- Tour La Petite Venice on a 30 minute boat ride.
- The Alsace region is known for its wine, so be sure to have a glass and taste of their delicious food too in one of the many street cafes.
- Visit Saint-Martin’s Church which is a roman catholic church. The church is huge and it is hard to get the whole church in any photo.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France has a rich history and beautiful architecture that that has been preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Strasbourg is very popular which means lots of tourists and the streets can get crowded.
Things to do in Strasbourg:
- Take in postcard-perfect views in the Petite France section of Strasbourg. The half-timber buildings line the canals with flowers spilling out of window boxes and bridges.
- Ride the double-decker carousel in Gutenberg Square next to a statue of Johannes Gutenberg.
- Visit the Cathedral of Our Lady Strasbourg and climb the tower. The spot where the Cathedral of Our Lady Strasbourg was built was originally home to a Roman temple. This famous landmark was the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874, and still has the honor of being the 6th tallest church in the world. If you climb the North Tower (300+ steps) you can see as far as the Black Forest in Germany on a clear day.
Have you visited Alsace?
