Colmar is a small, Medieval Alsatian village about 20 miles from the Rhine and the German town of Breisach, where we docked. Our tour guide, Kim, was very interesting and knowledgable and walked us through the lanes and squares of Colmar. The city is charming and in each direction one finds a mix of colorful French and German Renaissance homes and buildings.
Of note is the fact that Frederic Auguste Bertholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, lived here. Here is a photo of his family home and a sample of his work.
Everywhere one looks there are interesting and colorful sights.
We made a visit to Saint Martin Church.
We even learned about the legend of kitchen witches which is a doll that you hang in the kitchen to bring good luck and good cooking. Here is a photo of a couple of them.
There is even an area known as “Petite Venice.” It was very nice but there is no place like Venice. Take a look.
We truly enjoyed Colmar and would recommend a visit to anyone who enjoys Medieval architecture and a step back in time.
From Colmar we returned to the Kara for lunch. Jimmy and Barbara decided to take a tour of the Black Forest. JoAnn and I did that on a prior trip down the Rhine and decided instead to stroll through the town of Breisach. High on a hill overlooking the town . . .
. . . and the Rhine is Saint Stephans’s Minster, a beautiful sandstone structure that was built in Roman and Gothic styles between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is worth a visit but is quite a hike up the hill. Here are a couple of shots from the wall overlooking the town.
Here are a few photos inside the church.
And here are a few photos of the surroundings from outside of the church.
After our visit to the church we made our way down to the lower level. It was very interesting that it was as if the town closed for Saturday. The streets were devoid of people and the shops all seemed to be closed; even restaurants. Here are a couple of shots of what appears to be the shopping area starting with the City Seal.
Then, it was back to the Kara for our last night on board. Tomorrow we disembark in Basel, Switzerland, where we will spend the day, followed by a day trip to Luzerne.