Colmar, a historic city with an impressive pedigree
The historic Petite Venise district turns Colmar into one of the most attractive tourist destinations in France.
The city boasts a remarkable architectural and cultural heritage, including numerous religious buildings, a former collegiate church, a magnificent theatre, and a multitude of meticulously restored medieval houses, as well as the renowned Unterlinden Museum, home to the Isenheim Altarpiece, a masterpiece of medieval art.
But Colmar’s charm is not limited to its architectural splendours. Nestled in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, the city is also considered the capital of Alsatian wines.
And let’s not forget that Colmar is the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the iconic Statue of Liberty!
Located at the confluence of several rivers, Colmar is not only the third-largest city in Alsace, but also the capital of the Haut-Rhin department.
Colmar, La Petite Venise
The inhabitants skillfully utilised these waterways. They used them to fill the moats protecting the city walls, irrigate their fertile lands, power watermills, and, of course, for river transport.
In the Middle Ages, artisans traditionally grouped themselves into specific guilds within their own districts, such as the Quartier des Tanneurs (Tanners’ Quarter), Quartier des Poissonniers (Fishmongers), and Krutenau, the Quartier des Maraîchers (Market Gardeners).
These old districts, which developed along the complex network of artificial canals, now form the historical heart of Colmar. The interconnected waterways and the charm of the canal-side houses earned this picturesque district the nickname “Petite Venise – Little Venice.”
Like its counterpart, La Petite France in Strasbourg, La Petite Venise underwent significant restoration in the 1960s and 1970s to preserve its many half-timbered houses dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
However, in the Middle Ages, there was no room for beauty, but only for functionality! The facades of these houses, now painted in vibrant colours and adorned with flower-filled balconies, were generally entirely plastered for insulation and protection. But above all, what truly characterised these neighbourhoods were the pestilential odours emanating from the activities of the tanners, fishermen, and market gardeners.
La Petite Venise was not exactly a desirable place to live!
Krutenau, origin of La Petite Venise
The market gardeners and winegrowers of Colmar channelled the Lauch River and its tributaries, which meandered through the marshy lands outside the city walls. Taking advantage of the fertile alluvial deposits, they established a thriving district: the Krutenau.
The network of canals served to irrigate their crops and vineyards while also providing convenient river transport. They indeed transported their abundant harvests by barge to the covered market located on the Quai de la Poissonnerie, along the Lauch River.
In fact, the Krutenau shares similarities with the Marais district on the Right Bank of Paris, a vast marshy area once formed by an ancient meander of the Seine and later used for agriculture.
Rue de Turenne today divides the Quartier de Krutenau, thus reflecting the neighbourhood’s social diversity. Indeed, on the south side, where the houses are even-numbered, stand modest cottages, while the opposite side is lined with elegant patrician residences.
Quartier des Tanneurs
Colmar’s Quartier des Tanneurs boasts the highest concentration of tall half-timbered houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. However, this enclave, now a popular tourist destination, was once far less appealing. Tanners indeed dumped their waste into the canals and dried animal hides in the attics of their houses, producing foul odours that permeated the entire neighbourhood.
This district is reminiscent of the Quartier des Gobelins in Paris in Paris, where tanners settled along the banks of the Bièvre River, transforming the waterway into a vast open sewer.
Quartier de la Poissonnerie
Colmar’s third historic district is the Quartier des Pêcheurs et des Bateliers (fishermen and boatmen), whose influence remained significant until the early 20th century. Colmar boatmen’s guild shared many similarities with the influential Parisian boatmen’s guild, the Nautes Parisiens. Indeed, both cities historically relied heavily on trade and river traffic, which profoundly shaped their economies.
The fishermen’s guild, for its part, operated under strict regulations. Fishermen were forbidden from fishing on holidays and at night, and they had to sell their catch at the covered market on the Quai de la Poissonnerie.
As for the inhabitants of Colmar, they enjoyed fishing rights, but these were limited to net fishing on Fridays, in accordance with the Christian tradition that forbade the consumption of meat on that day. They also had to buy fish exclusively from the town’s fishermen.
The Quartier des Pêcheurs was sadly destroyed by fire in 1706, but was completely rebuilt with the superb half-timbered houses that can still be admired today.
La Petite Venise, the medieval heart of the city of Colmar, is in fact a true ‘floating city’ best explored by barge or gondola, just like on the canals of the real Venice in Italy!
Department of Haut-Rhin – La Petite Venise in Colmar
Coordinates: Lat 48.074432 – Long 7.359701
Photos via Wikipedia Commons: Photo1 and Header by Arnaud 25 CC BY-SA 4.0 – Commanderie Saint-Jean by sergei.gussev CC BY 2.0 – Photo3 by Paola Battecca CC BY-SA 4.0 – Vue du Pont St-Pierre by AlineRockstud68 CC BY-SA 4.0
