Colmar
Unterlinden & Museum Quarter
The cultural anchor of Colmar: the Unterlinden Museum with the Isenheim Altarpiece, the Dominican Church with the Schongauer Madonna, Place de la Cathedrale, and the Bartholdi Museum in the house where the Statue of Liberty sculptor was born.
About Unterlinden & Museum Quarter
The northern end of Colmar's old town is where the serious art is. The Unterlinden Museum (EUR 13) is built around a 13th-century Dominican convent and was extended in 2015 by Herzog & de Meuron. The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald (painted 1512-1516) is the reason art historians make the trip: the crucifixion panel is violent and human in a way that nothing else from this period matches, and the resurrection panel glows with an otherworldly light. The museum designed its entire layout around this single work. Beyond the altarpiece, the collection includes Cranach, Holbein, Alsatian folk art, and a good medieval sculpture collection in the cloister. The Dominican Church (free entry) on Rue des Precheurs contains Martin Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower (1473), a painting of delicate beauty that would be the main attraction of any other city. The Bartholdi Museum (EUR 6, on Rue des Marchands) is the birthplace of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty. The house is now a small museum of his models, sketches, and personal effects. Place de la Cathedrale and the streets around it are less crowded than Petite Venise.
Where to Eat
Restaurants and cafes in Unterlinden & Museum Quarter
Getting Here
On Foot
A 5-minute walk north from Petite Venise. Flat and pedestrianised throughout.
Insider Tips
Unterlinden at opening
The museum opens at 9 AM (10 AM on Wednesdays). Go at opening to have the Isenheim Altarpiece room to yourself for the first 30 minutes. Budget at least 1 hour for the altarpiece alone - the multiple panels (crucifixion, resurrection, temptation of St. Anthony) reward slow looking. The cloister is a good place to sit afterward.
Schongauer Madonna
The Dominican Church (free entry) on Rue des Precheurs has Martin Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower (1473) behind the altar. This painting is extraordinarily delicate and would be the main attraction of most cities. The church is open daily, usually 10 AM-6 PM. Much less crowded than the Unterlinden.
Bartholdi Museum
EUR 6. The house where the Statue of Liberty's sculptor was born. Small but interesting: the scale models of the Statue of Liberty and the Lion of Belfort are the highlights. Open March-December, closed Tuesday. 30-45 minutes is sufficient.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Continue exploring
Petite Venise & Old Town
The canal district with the pastel houses, the Pont Tournant, the Maison Pfister (1537), the Collegiate Church of St. Martin, and the pedestrian streets between Grand'Rue and Rue des Marchands.
Quartier des Tanneurs
The old tanners' quarter between Petite Venise and the centre: tall, narrow half-timbered buildings where tanners dried hides on the upper floors, now restaurants, wine bars, and artisan shops.
Little Vineyard Route (Colmar Surrounds)
The vineyards start at the edge of town. Turckheim, Eguisheim, and the trail through the vines between them - the start of the wine route proper, walkable from Colmar if you have energy.
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