Colmar

Colmar is a medium sized town in the east of France, easily accessible by train from Paris (or from Germany or Switzerland). It’s welcoming to tourists, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and markets, while still having a sizable, non-tourism resident community.

This part of France is in Alsace and has a mixed history with Germany, and you’ll find a lot more beer than wine around town as well as plenty of pretzels and even some schnitzel.

To eat:

• Brasserie des Tanneurs has a patio across the street with a handful of other restaurants. The place itself is kitchy, but we didn’t even seen the actual building until after we ate a delicious meal

• Marché Couvert is a historic market with plenty of vendors. If you’re in an Airbnb or another place with a kitchen, then stop here for good ingredients, or prepared foods and ice cream

To see:

• Façade Maison des Têtes is a beautiful building with plenty of history, but you don’t have to seek this building out to see plenty of old world architecture

• Walk along the canal through town, where you’ll find plenty of places to eat and rest