Colmar is the best city in Alsace. At least, that's what its residents say. To finally convince those who disagree, they use an ace in a hole: "Colmar has its own Venice!". No one can argue with that. The quarter in the old town, consisting of a long canal street and houses around it, is called "Little Venice". It got its name not because of its similarity to the Italian city but because of a craze for romantic names for different city parts in the 19th century. Don`t forget to charge your phone! You will want to take a photo of every house in Little Venice, capture it from all sides, catch every detail of it. One house will attract you with wonderful clay pots with red geraniums, another – with cat-patterned curtains and two proud cats in front of them. And at another house, ivy began to grow on a street lamp, as if hugging it.

The buildings themselves seem "delicious" like gingerbread. These half-timbered houses of the 15th-17th centuries are in excellent condition. It is tempting to take pictures of these elegant facades: pink, orange, blue. Instead of a road, there is a canal, namely the Lauch River. You can still notice piers and boats near many houses. However, they are more of a decoration: the canal is rather shallow and rarely navigable. But previously, a hundred years ago, people used it as the main artery of the city.

On the days when the canal water level is sufficient, you can rent a boat and see Little Venice from the water. It costs about 10 euros. The price is not high as Colmar has no tourist crowds. Not all group tours include it in the itinerary.

Alsace always looks different on Christmas. Colmar is no exception. Do not be confused by the fact that this city is not as picturesque as Strasbourg: in small cities, the festive atmosphere is felt in a special way. The houses of Little Venice literally compete with each other in the splendor of the decorations. In addition, the city authorities provide the quarter with festive lighting every year so that all adults can feel like children for a while.