Colmar - the dreamy fairytale town, the moving castle of Dream Hall!

"I'll build you a mobile house later, okay? It's filled with balloons that can fly to the ends of the earth. It may be small, but it will be big enough for you and me."

-- Howl's Moving Castle

The town scenes in Howl's Moving Castle are mainly based on Colmar, France. In search of this scene, Miyazaki visited the south of France for 12 days, and finally settled on this place. How can you describe the beauty of Colmar? "The town that came out of a fairy tale" is the most accurate description. Although the town can be explored in half a day, it is highly recommended to stay for one night! You can feel the different styles of the town. Bright and warm in the morning and quiet and comfortable at night.

Colmar is a town in Alsace in northeastern France, the capital of Haut-Rhine and one of the most romantic regions in France, named for its canals and flower boats. From the bridge, you can see the reflection of the former boatman and laundry in the water, and the scenery is beautiful. Colmar still retains the architectural style of the 16th century - wood rib houses, multi-faceted roofs made of wood, unique designs, each with a personal taste. A wooden house, so that the town is full of strong Alsace style.

Colmar's treasure collection is enough for once! The town is as fantastic as Hayao Miyazaki's Hal Moving Castle! Some scenery will be more amazing to see with your own eyes, if you go to France, you must go to Comal!

Colmar is the wine center of Alsace, the main dry white wine producing region in France, and is the site of the most prestigious Colmar Wine Festival, which takes place for two weeks every September.

🎬 Town Attractions Collection:

The old town of Colmar

The old town of Colmar is very small, and you can easily walk to all the attractions. It is suitable for city walk, and the scenery is very good. Can today Christmas, the church is not open, the cruise point is closed, but there are people on the boat, unfortunately did not find where to buy tickets, or you can experience, after all, Colmar called little Venice.

The colorful wooden house is beautiful, and if the weather is fine, it looks exactly like the one in the anime (✪▽✪) and there are many cute dogs.

The old town of Colmar is the fairy tale world of Hayao Miyazaki, and the town where the heroine lives in the animated film Howl's Moving Castle. Tributaries of the River Ill pass through the city, attracting thousands of tourists every year.




Little Venice

The Little Venice district is the characteristic neighborhood of Colmar, the most beautiful spot in the town. There is a boat tour of Colmar. Because the water in Switzerland is crystal clear, the water here in France can not help but feel a little dirty, so we did not take a boat tour of the town. It's beautiful to watch the sunset here.

It used to be the fishing district of Colmar, inhabited mainly by fishermen and boatmen. The dock side is neatly arranged with the colorful wooden rib house such as yellow, pink, purple blue, vermilion, orange, etc., which is more vivid against the water. Standing on the bridge, I can't help imagining myself as a figure in a painting, leisurely watching the boat in the river.



St. Martin's Church

St. Martin's Cathedral is a shining pearl of architecture in the small Alsatian city of Colmar. The construction of this Gothic church began in the 13th century, and over the centuries it has been enlarged and transformed to have the architectural features of the 14th to 16th centuries. Its most notable features are the towering bell tower and the exquisite colored tile roof, which are unique to the Alsace region.

The interior is equally striking, with detailed carvings, stained glass and frescoes. These artworks show the development of religious art at different times. In addition, St. Martin's Cathedral has a number of historic works of art, including statues, altars and pulpits.

It is not only a place of religious ceremonies, but also one of the centers of Colmar's cultural life, attracting countless tourists and history lovers. Every year during the Christmas season, the famous Colmar Christmas Market is held near the church, and the area around the church becomes a lively and brightly lit celebration. St. Martin's Cathedral not only represents the history of Colmar, it is also a source of pride and a part of the collective memory of the local community.

St. Martin's Church is small, but in a small town like Colmar, it fits in well with the fairytale town image. There is a stork's nest on the top of the church, and sitting at the foot of the church in summer evening, you can hear a family of storks clicking, which is very interesting.

The Museum Under the Linden Tree

The museum is in the main city, about a 10-minute walk from the train station, which is very convenient.

The Christmas market in Colmar is much the same as in Germany, nothing special. But I was completely amazed by this museum, looking at the small works but a lot, the structure of the whole site is also very interesting! Recommended.

The Unter Linden Museum is a Gothic monastery, which mainly exhibits medieval stone sculptures, Renaissance prints, and the most famous here is the "Isenheim altarpiece" created by the German Renaissance painter Grunewald.


The Bartoldi Museum

Birthplace of Liberty creator. The Bartoldi Museum, formerly the House of Bartoldi, is located in the center of the old town of Colmar. The museum retains some furniture, Bartoldi's personal effects, models of sculptures from his lifetime, and some paintings. There is a separate special exhibition hall of the Statue of Liberty, where you can learn more about the production process and details at that time.

Maison Pfister

Hal moves Sophie's home in the castle

Au Vieux Pignon

Where Hal and Sophie walked in the air

🏨 Hotel recommendations

Hostellerie le Marechal
A four-star hotel, many celebrities visited the house is beautiful! The location is next to Little Venice, opposite the Chinese restaurant shooting room window facing the Little Venice river, the view is amazing. The hotel also has a highly rated French meal, which seems to have been shortlisted by Michelin.

🍴 Restaurant recommendation
1️⃣ Les Six Montagnes
Cuttlefish super steak is also delicious to meet the Asian appetite!!

2️⃣ Bistrot des Lavandieres
The restaurant was taken by the Chinese restaurant, and there were photos of artists in the restaurant at that time.
The main French food, the taste is mediocre, but the location is excellent
3️⃣ Wistub de la Petite Venise
This beautiful bright yellow house features local cuisine
4️⃣JY‘s
Michelin restaurants can be tried sometime and the prices are very affordable


🍞 Coffee and dessert shop recommended
1️⃣ Au Croissant Dore
A super pink coffee shop, run by a family of grandmothers. In the morning, the store was full, and there were Chinese tea cans from the last century. The bread and coffee are excellent! cheese reviews.

2️⃣ Patisserie Gilg
It's a highly acclaimed sweet shop, but it was closed the day I went!

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