Visit Colmar with Kids
Colmar is a beautiful small city in the Alsace region of France. The phrase “chocolate box” town perfectly describes it. The Alsace region is on the French-German border and the region has shifted from France to Germany a few times. In fact, the local language, Alsatian is Germanic.
The small Lauch river which runs through the town, looks more like a canal in some areas. It’s definitely worth taking a small boat ride. When we went in 2016, it was 6 Euros for adults and children under 10 were free. Our three kids were able to sit at the front of the boat and they loved it. In some areas the bridges are so low you have to duck while you go through them. Our children had a great time and we found the ride picturesque and peaceful. Also, because part of the way meanders through residential areas you must be quiet; however, this is a bonus because it adds to the dreamy effect of the boat ride. We used the quiet part of the trip to encourage the kids to whisper and take photos.
Museums
We enjoyed walking around Colmar and the neighboring cities so much that we didn’t visit any museums. Perhaps we missed out- if you have more time or need to balance the trip for your young ones, you might like to try some of these local museums.
The Musee du Jouet is a toy museum, These types of museums can be fun especially if your children need a break from sightseeing.
Also, if you are a fan of the artist Hansi, there is a museum dedicated to him.
Even if you don’t know the name, you will probably have unknowingly seen his lovely art which showcases quaint scenes and traditionally dressed people from Alsace. We did visit the museum shop. It was filled with local products and the quite popular red and white souvenirs. His work is also in all the souvenir shops.
If you are interested in learning about the structure of the homes in Alsace which are featured in Hansi’s work, Pierre at French Moments has a great description.
This museum is the former family home of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It is now a museum dedicated to the creator and sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. The official museum website is in French, you can use google to translate it for you, Alternatively, there is the Alsace Tourism website with information in English.
There is also a replica of the Statue of Liberty outside of the city of Colmar – it’s in a roundabout.
Storks, Storks, Storks
One of the things our children really loved about this region was looking for storks. You will notice throughout your time in Alsace that there are stork pictures and signs everywhere. And, when you look up at the top of homes and businesses you will see that many have a platform where storks will often build a nest. Thanks to conservation efforts, you have a high chance of seeing some lovely storks perched on some these platforms. Our family was especially lucky when we visited the region for we saw several storks nesting. Hopefully, you and your family will enjoy stork spotting as well!
Love Small Towns? Me too, here's a few other places you'll want to check out!
If you enjoy medieval cities full of canals you’ll want to join the many tourists that flock here every summer. Yes, I know, I just said touristy, but don’t let that stop you from visiting.
The Romantic Road is popular for tourists visiting Bavaria in southern Germany. It goes for over 400 km from Fussen in the south to Wurzburg to the north and includes a number of picture perfect cities and towns. We started in the south in Fussen and drove north.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria in the south of Germany and is a popular stop on the Romantic Road. I think many us find it tempting to do day trips when we travel, so that we can see as much as possible, but I personally think you will enjoy your visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber if you spend at least a couple of nights here.
