Colmar or Strasbourg: Which Should You Visit?
Last Updated on 4th November 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.
When it comes to deciding which Alsatian destination you should add to your itinerary, many people face the hard choice of deciding between Strasbourg and Colmar, which also happen to be two of the largest towns in the Alsace region. Here’s your ultimate guide to deciding between Colmar or Strasbourg.
Contents
Colmar or Strasbourg: Which should you visit?
The short answer as to which French city you should visit is that you shouldn’t choose! Instead, you should be sure to visit both cities, particularly thanks to the fact that they are only around half an tour train ride away from one another, making them perfect to visit s part of a longer road trip or Christmas Markets itinerary.
If you only have a day…
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys fully covering a place, wandering around its most famous streets and ticking off a list of all of the top attractions, then you’ll want to head to Colmar as opposed to Strasbourg.
This is because, while Colmar can be seen over the course of a day, Strasbourg is much bigger and so you’ll likely come away feeling like ‘you haven’t seen it all’. Strasbourg is the largest city in the Grand Est and so has many more museums, restaurants, and cultural institutions than nearby Colmar.
If you like a lot of culture…
As I mentioned, Strasbourg certainly has more museums and restaurants and so wins hands down when it comes to deciding which city has more culture. If you’re looking for a place to dedicate a whole weekend to exploring, then you should be sure to opt for Strasbourg over Colmar.
Strasbourg also boasts one of the greatest cathedrals in France and so it’s a must-see if you’re interested in ecclesiastical history. There is a big caveat to this, however; if you are an oenophile then Colmar should be visited over Strasbourg.
This is because it lies along the Alsatian wine route, France’s oldest wine route which encompasses many vineyards and crowns Colmar as its capital. Colmar’s enviable position nestled among the vines also lends itself as the perfect starting point to visit nearby villages such as Turckheim, Eguisheim, and Kayserberg Vignoble.
If you want to visit somewhere quaint and cute…
There is no denying that Strasbourg is beautiful but there is also no escaping the fact that it is a bustling and busy capital. As such, while Strasbourg is charming, Colmar is like stepping straight into the pages of Beauty and the Beast.
From the canals of Little Venice (Petite Venise in French) to the many historic buildings in town, it feels like being a gingerbread town around almost every corner.
If you want to visit a fairytale district
Now here is where it gets interesting. In actual fact, both Strasbourg and Colmar have their own fairytale areas which look like they’ve been plucked straight out of a storybook. Whereas Colmar has Little Venice, Strasbourg has Petite France.
Petite France is slightly larger than Little Venice (and is home to that wisteria bridge that is so famous on Instagram) but is equally as charming. As such, in whichever city you opt to visit, you’ll find a delightful neighbourhood to explore!
Which Christmas Market is better: Strasbourg vs Colmar?
Both the Strasbourg Christmas Market and the Colmar Christmas Market are world famous and hundreds of thousands of people flock to France from all over the world on an annual basis to enjoy these festive events.
Strasbourg is self-proclaimed to be the capital of Christmas and it is definitely true that this is not only the largest Christmas Market in France, but also the oldest. As such, there are hundreds of stalls to choose from selling everything from Christmas Market food to vintage clothing.
With this being said, Colmar’s Christmas offering is certainly not small and, much like Strasbourg, the entire city is transformed into a winter wonderland, with lights and illuminations strung up on every corner and Christmas Market stalls at nearly every turn.
I personally prefer the Colmar Christmas market as I feel like each of the individual markets in the city feel a little bit more intimate and you can truly get to know them over the course of an hour. However, if it’s your first time at a traditional Christmas Market and you want to see it all, then you’ll want to head to Strasbourg as the city has a greater variety of stalls.
A final note
As you can see, whether you opt to visit Colmar or Strasbourg will depend entirely on your personal preference and the kind of things you like to see and experience during a vacation.
If it came down to it, I would probably opt to see Colmar over Strasbourg just because it is so unique and genuinely feels like stepping into a storybook, as opposed to Strasbourg which is more of a modern city with the kind of typical convenience stores and restaurant chains to match.
Enjoyed reading about whether to visit Strasbourg or Colmar? Pin this article now, read it again later:
Hey Sophie – If you want to make one a home base for a few days and venture to other towns/markets, which would you choose?
Hi, thanks for your comment! I would probably opt for Strasbourg because it has a lot more dining options and accommodation options. On the days that we wanted to go for side trips, we rented a car (this was only two days of the trip). The rest of the time, you can easily take public transportation to get around Strasbourg, as well as to places like Colmar and Selestat.