Self-Guided Walking Tour in Colmar

A self-guided walk through the old town of Colmar, 8 stops over 2.6 km from the Musée Unterlinden down to the canals of La Petite Venise. This page gives you the route map, per-leg walking times, real prices and opening hours for each stop, and shorter versions when your day is tight.

8 Stops2.6 km~2 hours walking1.5–2 hours with stops
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Colmar Walking Tour at a Glance

This route is built for anyone who wants to see the best of Colmar's old town in the right order without doubling back or getting lost in the medieval alleys. Every interior is optional. You can walk the whole thing as a free outdoor loop through the streets, or step into the museum, the churches and the market when a stop pulls you in. You set the pace, you decide what you enter.

StartUnterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden)
FinishLa Petite Venise
Route typeA point-to-point line running north to south through the historic center, from the Musée Unterlinden down to the Lauch canals. No backtracking, stops fall in their natural geographical order.
Realistic timeAbout 35 minutes of pure walking across 2.6 km. Plan 1.5 to 2 hours with outdoor stops and photos, and add roughly two hours if you go inside the Unterlinden.
DifficultyEasy and flat throughout. Colmar is one of the most level old towns in Alsace, with smooth, well-kept cobblestones and no stairs or hills anywhere on this route.
Cost to followThe outdoor walk is completely free. The only paid interior is the Musée Unterlinden at €13. The Dominican Church and Cathédrale Saint-Martin are free to enter, and the covered market is free to browse.
Best for:

Travelers who want a compact, low-effort walk packed with half-timbered architecture, one world-class museum, and a picture-perfect finish at the canals.

The Route

Free Walking Tour Map of Colmar

8 stops2.6 kmabout 2 hours
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The 8 stops along this route

  1. Unterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden) in Colmar, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Unterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden)
  2. Église des Dominicains (Église des Dominicains de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Église des Dominicains (Église des Dominicains de Colmar)
  3. Maison des Têtes (Maison des Têtes de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Maison des Têtes (Maison des Têtes de Colmar)
  4. St Martin's Church, Colmar (Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4St Martin's Church, Colmar (Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar)
  5. Maison Pfister in Colmar, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Maison Pfister
  6. Ancienne Douane (Koïfhus) in Colmar, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Ancienne Douane (Koïfhus)
  7. Covered market of Colmar (Marché couvert de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Covered market of Colmar (Marché couvert de Colmar)
  8. La Petite Venise in Colmar, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8La Petite Venise
  9. That's the complete route.

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Your Colmar Walking Tour, Stop by Stop

  1. 1

    Unterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden)

    Unterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden) in Colmar, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    Start at the heavyweight of the regional art scene. This museum occupies a 13th-century Dominican convent connected to a modern wing by Herzog and de Meuron via an underground gallery. The gravitational center is the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald, a brutal, terrifying depiction of the crucifixion originally painted between 1512 and 1516 to comfort patients dying of skin diseases. The museum does not stop at medieval art: Picasso and Monet pieces sit comfortably in the contemporary wing. Admission is €13. Open Monday and Wednesday through Sunday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Tuesday. You need at least two hours to do it justice. Rushing through the Altarpiece room defeats the purpose; stand back and watch how the panels unfold.

    Hours
    Mon: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Tue: Closed | Wed-Sun: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
    Price
    €13
  2. 2

    Église des Dominicains (Église des Dominicains de Colmar)

    Église des Dominicains (Église des Dominicains de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    A short walk south brings you to this Gothic church that started construction in 1283. The single nave draws your eye straight to the stained glass windows, some of the oldest in the Upper Rhine. The architecture is stripped back and austere, reflecting the preaching order that built it, but the real reason to enter is Martin Schongauer's Virgin in the Rose Bush from 1473. This masterpiece was stolen in the 1970s and eventually returned. Seeing it in its intended ecclesiastical setting is powerful; photographs cannot capture the gold background and the detailed flora. Free admission, donations accepted. Opening hours are irregular and include a long lunch break, so check before you arrive. The church is closed on Monday. Visit around 11:00 AM when morning light hits the choir stained glass directly.

    Hours
    Mon: Closed | Tue: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 3:00 – 6:00 PM | Wed: 3:00 – 6:00 PM | Thu: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 3:00 – 6:00 PM | Fri-Sat: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Sun: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 3:00 – 6:00 PM
    Price
    Free (donations accepted)
  3. 3

    Maison des Têtes (Maison des Têtes de Colmar)

    Maison des Têtes (Maison des Têtes de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    Over one hundred grotesque stone faces glare, grimace, and laugh down at you from the gables and window mullions of this 1609 Renaissance building. Built for a wealthy merchant who abandoned the usual half-timbered warmth for the prestige of stone, the facade is unsettling in the best way. A rigid tin soldier stands at the very top, a later addition by Bartholdi, but the original heads are the real draw. They represent a mix of human emotions, allegorical figures, and possibly the friends and enemies of the original owner. The building houses a hotel and restaurant, so the interior is reserved for guests, but the exterior is free theater for anyone on the street. Stand on the opposite side with a zoom lens; the expressions on the higher faces are far more detailed than they appear to the naked eye.

    Hours
    Daily: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Price
    Free (exterior visible, restaurant inside)
  4. 4

    St Martin's Church, Colmar (Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar)

    St Martin's Church, Colmar (Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    Standing in the square, you have to crane your neck to take in the sheer scale of this collegiate church, often mistaken for a cathedral due to its massive proportions. Built between 1235 and 1365, the yellow and pink sandstone shifts with the sunlight, giving the heavy Gothic architecture a surprising warmth. The polychrome tile roof flashes in green and gold patterns. Inside, the atmosphere is vast and shadowy, with stained glass dating back to the 13th century. Free admission. Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM to 6:45 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Walk around to the choir end to see the gargoyles jutting out against the sky. You might spot a stork nest perched on a pinnacle, a living symbol of Alsace.

    Hours
    Mon-Sat: 8:00 AM – 6:45 PM | Sun: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
    Price
    Free
  5. 5

    Maison Pfister

    Maison Pfister in Colmar, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    This house looks like it was lifted from a storybook. Built in 1537, it was the first Renaissance building in the city, with a wooden gallery, octagonal turret, and elaborate murals depicting biblical scenes and Germanic emperors on the facade. The wraparound wooden balcony is the standout feature, suspended over the street corner in a way that seems structurally impossible for a building nearly 500 years old. You cannot go inside; it is privately owned. But the exterior is a masterclass in 16th-century ego. It sits on a tight corner of the Rue des Marchands, making it hard to get a wide shot without a wide-angle lens. Visit the wine shop on the ground floor; it is the only way to see a bit of the interior structure.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
    Price
    Free (exterior visible, restaurant inside)
    Website
    mure.com ↗
  6. 6

    Ancienne Douane (Koïfhus)

    Ancienne Douane (Koïfhus) in Colmar, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    The oldest public building in Colmar, completed in 1480, originally served as the city's warehouse, customs office, and tax collection point. It hosted the assemblies of the Decapole, a union of ten Alsatian cities. The roof grabs you first: a diamond pattern of varnished green and yellow tiles that shine even on overcast days. The ground floor retains the sturdy stone arches designed to support heavy loads of wine and cloth. The interior is closed to the public, but the exterior is the story. It sits at the intersection of the Grand Rue and the Rue des Marchands, acting as a gateway between the two main halves of the old town. From here, continue south toward the market and the canals.

    Hours
    Exterior visible 24/7 (interior closed to public)
    Price
    Free (view from outside)
  7. 7

    Covered market of Colmar (Marché couvert de Colmar)

    Covered market of Colmar (Marché couvert de Colmar) in Colmar, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    This 1865 covered market brings a distinct industrial feel to a city famous for medieval timber. The architect used brick, stone, and cast iron columns that contrast sharply with the half-timbered houses outside. The building sits right on the canal edge, a deliberate design choice that once allowed market gardeners to pole their flat-bottomed boats straight up to the loading doors. Inside, stalls sell everything from pungent Munster cheese to fresh pretzels, charcuterie, and local Alsatian wines. This is your best chance for a picnic: assemble lunch from three or four vendors and take it outside. Free entry. Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday until 7:00 PM, Saturday until 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The small terrace at the back overlooking the canal is often empty while the restaurants next door are packed.

    Hours
    Mon: Closed | Tue-Thu: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Fri: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM | Sat: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Sun: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
    Price
    Free
  8. 8

    La Petite Venise

    La Petite Venise in Colmar, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    The tour ends at the postcard. Colorful 14th-century half-timbered houses line the banks of the Lauch River, reflecting perfectly in the slow-moving water. This district was originally home to market gardeners, fishmongers, and tanners who needed the river for their trade. House colors once signaled the owner's trade: blue for carpenters, green for tailors. Willow trees dip their branches into the canal, and flat-bottomed boats glide silently past. To see this area without a thousand other bodies, come at sunrise. Later in the day, the restaurants lining the water offer great views, though you pay a premium for the location. Free and open around the clock. Instead of the main bridge on Rue de Turenne, walk to the smaller footbridge behind the market hall for the same view with half the people.

    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free

How Long Does This Walking Tour Really Take?

The walking itself is short: 2.6 km, about 35 minutes end to end. With eight stops for photos and a look at the facades, most people spend 1.5 to 2 hours. Add two hours if you enter the Musée Unterlinden, and factor in time to assemble a picnic at the covered market.

The 2.6 kilometers takes about 35 minutes of pure walking time. Budget 1.5 to 2 hours if you stop at each location and take photos. If you plan to enter the Musee Unterlinden (€13 admission), add two hours to that total. The rest of the stops are free to view from the exterior.

The Marche Couvert is the best place for a food break. Grab a wedge of Munster cheese, some charcuterie, and a pretzel from different vendors and eat on the canal terrace behind the building. If you want a proper sit-down meal, the restaurants along the Quai de la Poissonnerie near La Petite Venise serve Alsatian classics like tarte flambee and choucroute, though prices are higher due to the waterfront location.

Full Route, Shorter Walk or Two-Day Version?

The full route is only 2.6 km, so most people walk all eight stops in one go. But if your time is tight or you want to split it around the market's opening hours, here are three ways to do it.

Full Route

All Eight Stops, North to South

Stops 1 to 8, Musée Unterlinden to La Petite Venise, about 1.5 to 2 hours with stops

The complete walk in geographical order. You start at the Unterlinden, cut through the cathedral square and the merchant streets, pass the old customs house and the covered market, and finish at the canals. Add two hours if you enter the museum.

Short Version

The Core Old-Town Facades

Stops 3 to 8, Maison des Têtes to La Petite Venise, about 45 to 60 minutes

Skip the museum and the Dominican Church at the northern edge and start at the Maison des Têtes. This keeps every half-timbered highlight, the cathedral, the Koïfhus, the market and the canals, in a tight 1.3 km run without the two-hour museum commitment.

Two-Part Split

Museum Morning, Canals Afternoon

Stops 1 to 4 first, then stops 5 to 8 later, split at Cathédrale Saint-Martin

Do the Unterlinden and the churches in the morning while they are open and uncrowded, pause at the cathedral, then return in the afternoon for the merchant houses, the market and La Petite Venise. Useful if you want the museum unhurried and the canals in softer light.

You can walk it in reverse, from La Petite Venise up to the Musée Unterlinden, but the recommended north-to-south direction saves the postcard canals for last and keeps you moving gently downhill through the center. Starting at the Unterlinden also lets you hit the museum early before it fills up.

Is This Colmar Walking Tour Right for You?

This is a short, flat, forgiving walk, but it suits some travelers better than others. Here is who it works for and how to adjust it if your situation is different.

A good fit if you…

  • Anyone who wants the main sights in the right order without navigating the confusing medieval street grid alone
  • Travelers with limited mobility: it is flat, cobbled but smooth, and completely free of stairs and hills
  • Art lovers who want to build the day around the Isenheim Altarpiece at the Musée Unterlinden
  • Photographers chasing the half-timbered facades and the canal reflections of La Petite Venise

Adapt the route if you…

  • You only have an hour: start at stop 3 and walk the short version straight down to the canals
  • You are visiting on a Tuesday: the Unterlinden and the Dominican Church are closed, so lead with the outdoor stops
  • You want the canals without crowds: come at sunrise, when the reflections are still and the bridges are empty
  • You are here for food: time the walk so the covered market at stop 7 is open, then picnic on the canal terrace behind it

Tickets & Skip-the-Line in Colmar

Only one stop on this route charges admission; the rest are free churches, facades and public spaces you view without a ticket.

Unterlinden Museum (Musée Unterlinden)Admission is 13 euros. Open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Tuesday. Arrive at opening or after 4:00 PM to have the Isenheim Altarpiece room to yourself, and budget two full hours inside.
Everything else is freeThe Dominican Church is free with donations accepted (closed Monday, irregular hours with a lunch break), and the Cathédrale Saint-Martin, Marché Couvert and La Petite Venise are all free to enter or view. Maison des Têtes, Maison Pfister and the Koïfhus are admired from the street at no cost.
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Tips for Walking in Colmar

  • Visit between Tuesday and Friday if possible. The Musee Unterlinden and the Dominican Church are both closed on Tuesday, and the Marche Couvert is closed on Monday. Wednesday through Friday gives you the best chance of finding everything open.
  • Come at sunrise if you want La Petite Venise without the selfie crowds. The canals are perfectly still, the reflections are mirror-sharp, and you will have the bridges to yourself. By 10:00 AM, the main viewing spots are gridlocked.
  • Flat shoes are fine here. Unlike most Alsatian hilltop towns, Colmar is completely flat. The cobblestones are smooth and well-maintained, and there are no stairs on this route. It is one of the most physically accessible old towns in eastern France.
  • If you are visiting in December, the Christmas markets transform the squares into a different experience entirely. The Place des Dominicains and the Koifhus area have the most atmospheric market stalls, but expect dense crowds from late morning onward.
  • The Musee Bartholdi on Rue des Marchands is worth a quick detour if the connection between this small Alsatian town and the Statue of Liberty interests you. The early clay sketches of Lady Liberty change how you see the final giant in New York. Admission is €5.

Where to Eat Along the Route

The best cooking in Colmar is not on the water. The restaurants ringing La Petite Venise and Maison Pfister trade on the view, charging 35 to 40 euros for choucroute that locals quietly walk past. Step one or two streets back and the quality-to-price ratio flips, with set lunches from 14 to 22 euros that residents actually eat.

  • Quartier des Tanneurs, just east of the canals, is residential and cheaper, with tiny winstubs serving daily-changing menus rather than the same laminated tourist card.
  • The streets around the Musée Unterlinden (Rue des Clefs, Rue des Augustins) hide lunch formulas around 16 to 18 euros, some including a glass of Alsatian wine, where museum staff and office workers eat.
  • The Saturday outdoor market on Rue des Ecoles is where restaurant owners buy their ingredients; a proper saucisse de Strasbourg sandwich from the charcuterie stand runs about 6.50 euros, versus 14 euros for the inferior canal-side version.
  • The central Quartier des Marchés around the covered market mixes warm neighborhood spots with the market stalls themselves, the best-value option for a picnic on the route.
Wistub Brenner⌖The reliable traditional classic near Little Venice, cozy with a summer terrace; it runs English menus and takes cards, so book ahead in season.
Jadis et Gourmande⌖Warm, quirky, brocante-style room stuffed with teddy bears and generous Alsatian plates beyond the usual choucroute; reservation essential as it fills even in low season.
Chez Henriette⌖A grandmother's dining room in the Tanneurs quarter with a 14 euro lunch menu that changes daily by what she found at the market that morning.
Le Quai 21⌖Across from the covered market, refined cooking from a Gault-Millau young-talent chef; the lunch menu is a bargain at 19 euros for two courses, 23 for three.

Skip the canal-side cafes selling 14 euro saucisse sandwiches and 35 euro choucroute; the same or better sits a street inland for half the price, or at the market for a fraction of it.

Tourist Traps to Avoid in Colmar

Colmar has none of the pickpocket, petition or gold-ring scams of Paris; the real traps here are crowds, overpriced tourist dining and a few time-wasting detours.

  • Petite Venise is shoulder-to-shoulder with tour groups by midday; come at sunrise or after the day-trippers leave in the evening for the fairytale version and mirror-still reflections.
  • Skip the Bartholdi Statue of Liberty replica unless you are driving; it sits on a motorway roundabout an hour's walk each way along roads with no proper footpath.
  • The canal boat tour lasts only about 25 minutes for 9 euros, and without a reservation you can queue 45 minutes or more, with English-language departures sometimes only every two hours.
  • Book dinner ahead: outdoor tables fill by around 7:20 PM and you can spend half an hour being turned away at full restaurants.
  • Many old-town shops now sell mass-produced trinkets rather than local craft; for the real thing seek out named Alsatian producers like Maison Alsacienne de Biscuiterie or a proper fromagerie.
  • Carry cash: some smaller restaurants, market vendors and the Basel-Mulhouse airport bus do not take cards.
  • Watch standard French-tourist-town overcharging, like hidden cover charges (couvert) and unordered items on the bill; photograph the posted menu prices and ask for an itemized addition.

Why Walk This Route?

Colmar is flat, compact, and entirely manageable on foot. You can walk from the northern edge of the historic center to the southern canals in under twenty minutes. Cars are mostly banned from the old town, buses cannot fit down the narrow alleys, and the half-timbered houses demand close inspection that you only get at walking pace. This 8-stop self-guided walking tour covers 2.6 kilometers and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours with stops, pulling you in a clean line through the most important sights without making you double back.

The route starts at the major museum, cuts through the cathedral square and the merchant streets, winds past the old customs house and the covered market, and finishes at the canals of La Petite Venise where you can sit down with a glass of Alsatian wine. You avoid the dead-end residential streets and hit the main attractions in their natural geographical order, from north to south. The medieval street layout is genuinely confusing if you wander randomly; this route removes the guesswork.

Common Questions

How long does it take to walk through Colmar?

This 2.6-kilometer route takes about 35 minutes of pure walking time. Budget 1.5 to 2 hours with photo stops, or a full half-day if you enter the Musee Unterlinden and browse the covered market. The old town is compact enough that you will never be more than a 10-minute walk from your starting point.

Is Colmar worth visiting in winter?

Yes, particularly from late November through December when the Christmas markets are running. The half-timbered houses are decorated with lights and garlands, and the mulled wine stands warm you up at every turn. Outside the market season, winter is quiet and cold, but the museums and churches are open and uncrowded.

Can I combine Colmar with Strasbourg in one day?

You can, but it is a stretch. The train between Colmar and Strasbourg takes about 30 minutes. If you start early in Colmar, finish the walking tour by lunchtime, and take an afternoon train, you will have three to four hours in Strasbourg before evening. Both cities deserve a full day, so two separate visits are better if your schedule allows it.

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