Bordering River Rhine and sandwiched between France and Germany, the historic region of Alsace has had a very turbulent past. During the 19th and the 20th century, Alsace was the region fought over first by Prussia and France during the Franco-Prussian War, followed by Germany and France during the two world wars.
After 1945, Alsace became once more part of France, but the region has maintained its distinctive historical and cultural characteristics. To a large extent, Alsace has the best of both worlds: the region's towns and villages display an orderliness and efficiency usually known to the Teutonic world, yet they still have that inherent sereneness and colourful celebration of life, which are trademarks of French towns and cities.
Colmar, about an hour by train south of the regional capital, Strasbourg, is a picturesque little town with lots of pretty medieval timber-framed houses and countless tourists throughout the year. Most of the visitors are from across the Rhine, as it is an ideal day-trip destination for those who live across the border in Germany.
The Germans love Alsatian towns for three things: good wine, good food, and good shopping. Alsace is famous for its excellent white wines, especially the sweet white made from the prized local grape known as Gewuerztraminer. All over Alsace one could find shops and wineries selling good Alsatian wines at reasonable prices, often with free wine-tasting. It is a favourite past time of many Germans to drive along the sign-posted Route de Vin (Wine Route) from one wine-growing village to another, stopping en route at a few wine cellars and do a bit of wine-tasting before heading to a local restaurant or bistro for some Flammkuchen, a local speciality.
Alsatian foods are in part very similar to the regional cuisine of southern Baden, just across the Rhine in Germany, but with a French twist. Lots of meat, sauerkraut, sausages and oven-baked dishes with delicious salads mark the menu of many local Alsatian eateries. Alsace is the birthplace of the famous Flammkuchen and Zwiebelkuchen, a kind of freshly baked crispy thin flat pancake with creme-fraiche, bacon bits and/or chopped onions. Variations of such pancakes abound, but the most tasty and the most authentic ones can be found only in Alsace.
When it comes to shopping, very few things match the splendour of a French supermarket. The obvious attraction of Colmar is its proximity to the German border, which makes it so much easier for the Germans to drive across the Rhine for some serious gourment shopping at some of the French supermarkets in the vicinity of Colmar. Given the relatively close distance, it is no problem at all for Teutonic shoppers to fill up their car boots with all kinds of fresh French dairy and meat products which need refrigeration.
In addition to wine, food and supermarkets which are worthy of being enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Colmar's medieval old town is a big attraction to those who enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by fairy-tale style colourful medieval timber-framed houses.
Many of the timber-framed houses have undergone extensive restoration, with very elaborate exteriors and elegant interior decorations worthy of being on postcards and posters which are sold all over the town. With beautiful fountains, little balconies filled with delightful flower baskets and photogenic window frames, the town centre of Colmar is usually full of tourists, especially on the weekends.
The 'Little Venice' is one of the major attractions of Colmar. This part of the town consists of several picturesque squares, flanked by a small canal with beautiful timber-framed houses on both sides of the stream. Cafes and restaurants dotted the quartier serving tourist menus and local dishes.
One unique feature of public buildings in Lower Alsace and the Basel areas is their colour-tiled roof, with geometric patterns and corresponding designs which make the building itself stand out among the others.
There are many good cafes and restaurants in Colmar. Unlike in Britain or the US, usually restaurants in France outside of Paris's touristic areas have a certain standard - otherwise they would not be in the business for long. To find a decent place, follow your instincts: see if there are many locals dining inside, ask to have a look at the menu, look around and see what other customers have on their plates. By following these steps, so far I have not stepped onto a minefield yet.
The cafe in the picture above is a petite place which is run by two elderly French ladies who speak French with an Alsatian accent. The interior decor of the cafe is full of items from the late 19th and early 20th century, which would sure bring back the nostalgic memories of those who were born before the 1990s. Because there are only two people tending to the customers, service could be a bit slow but if you are not in a hurry, sit down and relax and enjoy the turn-of-the century atmosphere of the place.
This places serves good coffee and cakes, as well as some assortments of French pasteries.
Talking about French pasteries, one should not miss a visit to a French bakery when in France. No matter where you are, one can always find a place which churns out excellenjt freshly-baked baguettes and other sweet delicacies. There is no shortage of good cafes in France where you can have a cafe au lait and a chocholate crossiant for less than 3 euro.
Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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