Travel Adventures | What to Eat [and Where!] in Colmar, France

You're going to want to have a snack nearby (or at least a full tummy) when you see this post. Don't say I didn't warn you... but I am a little sorry if I make you drool.

Here you will find everything you need to know about our favorite eats in Colmar. 

[And you will find the first post on Colmar sightseeing here.]

Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, we'll start with Bagelstein for an old fashioned, homemade bagel sandwich to die for!

We liked it so much that I almost cried a little the next day when we were hoping to go back for sandwich number two, only to find them closed! BOOOO!

So make sure you find your way to 55 Grand' Rue.

The manager's name is Philippe (can you get more French?) and he speaks fabulous English, for those of us who speak zero French. He's Mr. Smiley in the top corner there. He really likes to joke. It makes for a great, cheerful atmosphere in the shop.

Great food, great coffee. Don't miss this one!

When traveling anywhere in France, my biggest sweet treat splurge is going to be a macaron (or 12)... and this is the place to find them! 

So pretty! So yummy! So French!

These beauties can also be found on the Grand' Rue, number 60. It's all right centrally located near Little Venice and the Altstadt. 

Right about the time you're getting hungry for lunch is the PERFECT time to stop by the old covered market at 13 Rue des Ecoles.

You can wander the stalls and see all sorts of interesting foods. Maybe pick up a few gourmet jams or fancy star shaped cheeses... or wonder what exactly you'd do with a whole fish?

But then you can sit down to enjoy something completely sensible and delicious, like quiche lorraine!

Another lunch option is the quaint Bar JH. It's a small restaurant on an out-of-the-way street near the Cathedral (5 Rue Saint-Martin) and it was perfect for one of our lunches that we just wanted something small. The service from the bartender was fabulous and friendly.

We ate outside in the beautiful sunshine and it was just lovely. 

Now it's time for dinner! 

Make sure if you have your heart set on a certain place, you stop by earlier in the day for a reservation. They fill up pretty quick.

You obviously have a million options in such a great city, but we tried and thoroughly enjoyed these two...

Right near Little Venice is a restaurant appropriately called Little Venice. It's on the Rue de la Poissonnerie.

The atmosphere in here was so adorable. 

Tons of old, interesting decorations. An upbeat staff. Great wine. And the smells... ohmygosh the smells coming from the open kitchen! YUM!

Steak with mushroom cream sauce! And just looking at this picture reminds me that those were pretty much the best mashed potatoes of my life.

Okay here's the second one... see that beautiful yellow building? It's super iconic, you won't be able to miss it.

It's called Aux Trois Poissons. Located at 15 Quai De La Poissonnerie.

Here you will find a LOT of fancy and a LOT of local charm! It was some of the prettiest, tastiest food I've had in a long long time. Maybe ever!

And that, my friends, concludes the drool fest my food recommendations.

If you made it to the end without your tummy growling you deserve a cookie! 

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Travel Adventures | Tips for Visiting Colmar, France

Welcome to the stunning French city of Colmar! 

Be prepared to have your face melted off with awesome architecture, gorgeous colors, and adorable details! 

Every street is a new collection of beautiful colors! 

You could wander the city all day and your eyes would never get bored!

Colmar is a great city to spend a couple days.

You can easily walk around the whole city center, so it's a great place to take kids. 

They also have a fabulous Christmas Market, so you would have even more to see around the holidays!

As you approach the city from the north, you're going to come to the Rond-Point Liberte...

... where you get to see a mini Statue of Liberty in the middle of a large roundabout. You can pull off to the right and park so you can take some pictures.

I have some really cute ones of my kids pretending to be "Statues of Liver-tary" last Christmas. It was fun to take them to see it, since they haven't seen the Statue of Liberty in NYC.

The Statue in Colmar was sculpted in honor of the 100th death anniversary of Auguste Bartholdi, the artist who created the original work and who was born in Colmar in 1834.

You can also visit the Bartholdi Museum, which is inside the house where he was born. 

It's in the block of buildings on the corner of the Rue des Marchands and Rue Schongauer. It's just one street south of the main Cathedral.

The museum isn't terribly large so it's wasn't bad for the kids. Plus, if you go in the winter it's a nice break from the cold.

[Mom tip - this is a great place for a potty break for the kiddos]

After checking out the Cathedral and museum, you can head down to the Rue des Ecoles to the Covered Market (the building in the top left photo) to browse the local food stalls and grab a bite to eat.

[Another good place for a potty break, though not as clean]

I always love to see the bright colors of a market.

It's interesting, too, because the Market is right next to the river and back in the day, the merchants could bring their goods right up to the Market by boat!

Then you make your way down to "Little Venice" where you can have absolutely gorgeous views from the two main bridges, and take a lovely boat ride on the river!

The most famous bridge is over the Rue de Turenne. You can buy tickets for the boats at the Winstub La Krutenau restaurant. (And they're so cheap - less than 10 euro a ticket!)

We really enjoyed our evening boat ride... I definitely recommend going as the sun is starting to set.

It was magical!

We weren't really expecting that we'd have to duck to get under the bridges! It was kind of funny and definitely a good thing Kirsten and I were sitting in the back. Because "duck your head!" was definitely lost in translation... but thankfully we were able to copy the people in front!

Next is a lovely walk down the beautiful Rue de la Poissonnerie. Where I have two great restaurant recommendations for you, but you'll have to wait for next week!

I decided Colmar needed a separate food post ;o)

Trust me, you'll want to tune in next week for the mouth-watering photos!

I highly recommend Hotel Colbert. The room was so cheap and yet so clean. The beds were super comfy. The service was fantastic.

And it's within easy walking distance to the main areas of the city. 

It's located on the Rue des Trois-Epis and you get to walk past a beautiful flower shop, an atm, and a fabulous park on your way downtown.

(Obviously you walk past a lot of fun things but those were my top pics in order of beauty and practicality!)

When we weren't ooooo-ing and ahhhhh-ing (and photographing) the bright colors of the city, Kirsten and I really enjoyed poking in and out of the variety of antique shops.

Tons of fun stuff to see!

And of course there would be a huge potted fig tree in the park. So French! 

So besides the food, which I promise to tell you about soon, that's my collection of favorite photos and tips about Colmar, France!

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Photography | Colmar, France Sneak Peek

"Which of my photographs is my favorite? 
The one I'm going to take tomorrow." 

-Imogen Cunningham

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Colmar, France. I can't wait to share the rest with you and tell you all about my favorite places!

When I look at these beautiful images, I am reminded just how blessed we are to be living in Europe.

I still get that "somebody pinch me" feeling! 

It might be the photographer in me, or I might just be a normal human, but I totally can't pick a favorite photo! I'm always looking at life through my lens, and the anticipation of "what's next" flows through my life as well as my photography!

I hope these pictures brightened up the start of your weekend!

Travel Adventures | Monkey Mountain

When Kirsten and I went on our "last hurrah girls-only Colmar adventure" (more on that soon) I surprised her with a trip to Monkey Mountain.

That's right, Monkey Mountain! 

I had heard about and researched Monkey Mountain before, but hadn't been because it's a bit of a hike (roughly two hours from the KMC area) but since we were "in the neighborhood" anyways, it was basically on the way!

I can't believe I kept it a secret, I'm usually terrible at that.

 But it helped that I was driving and I entered the address into my GPS. She had no clue!

So I knew that a whole park full of monkeys would be pretty sweet.

But I didn't know HOW SWEET! I mean, come on! So much cuteness!

They give you a handful of popcorn and just let you go say hi... you aren't supposed to touch them other than letting them take the popcorn from your hand. It was kind of hard to resist the urge.

But I didn't want to get beaten up by a macaque.

Here's the website link if you want to plan a trip. They also have a short video so you get a feel for the park. And there's lots more information about the conservation message of the park.

It's only 9 euros for adults, 5 for kids. (I can't wait to see the looks of bliss on Double Trouble's face when we take them!)

Be careful to check the opening times for when you plan to go. Or call ahead. Since the tour is so short, I highly recommend combining Monkey Mountain with Colmar or with a trip to the Black Forest. 

It takes a little over an hour to walk through the park (more if you're taking pictures every five seconds) and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

When you're done, I highly recommend sitting in the beautiful outdoor dining area for a cup of coffee and a baguette sandwich or chocolate tart! (so very French!)

So if you need more monkey business in your life, look no further than Monkey Mountain!

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