Christmas in Alsace (Strasbourg and Colmar)

Okay I gotta admit. I never heard of Strasbourg before (I know, duh). My husband mentioned it once and when I google it I found it pretty. But when I google about best Christmas cities in Europe to spend in, Strasbourg and Colmar are tops of this list. So I have to experience these Alsace cities.

So Alsace is a historical region in northeastern France. It's located in the border of French Germany, so these regions are a collapse between 2 cultures. The people here speak French, but minority of them (especially the elderly) understand German as well. It's so sweet how some people tried to communicate with German to us because they've heard us speak German.

Alsace is actually more than Strasbourg and Colmar. It offers many pretty little cities around them, which unfortunately not so easy to reach with public transport (by not easy I mean they do not have direct connection).  I've read some blog and it's recommended to visit them by driving car. We do not have an access to a car, so that's why we only visited Strasbourg and Colmar.

First thing first, Colmar.

Once you stepped in, you know you've entered a fairy tale. It's like the city in Beauty and the Beast where Belle live. The building are pretty, they represent French and German architecture with its sandstone and timber framing. It's also said that Colmar is the inspiration for Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle.

The city center in Colmar is the most popular spot among tourist. Not to mention the beauty of little Venice. Don't forget to visit a little cafe called Au Croissant Dore. It's vintage and homey at the same time.

Charming little cafe

The little Venice

And during Christmas, they really deliver the greatest Christmas vibe. The decoration are so festive.

Colmar itself is not a big city. I would say a day trip to Colmar (in our case, from Strasbourg) is enough and we did not spend a night in Colmar . The city ist walkable within 3-4 hours. 

    

The next day we spend the day in Strasbourg.

If Colmar is like a fairy tale, Strasbourg has its own charm. The city is a mixture of metropolitan and old town with canals (I have a thing with cities with canal). I found every corner has its beauty. And again, the Christmas decoration here are also festive.

Strasbourg is definitely bigger than Colmar. 1-2 days in Strasbourg are enough to explore each corner of it. We visited many Christmas market, cute little shops, and of course tried Alsacean food, which also has German influence in it. Oh, and Strasbourg also has a pretty corner called the litte France (La Petite France). 

Places to visit: Strasbourg cathedral, Ponts Couverts, La Petite France, Palais de Rohan

Tips: do make reservations to avoid long queue.

Overall we really love our trip to these Alsacean region. I can see that we'll explore another surrounding cities (and back to Strasbourg) in the future. And Christmas in Alsace in a must!

xo, @Jechristy