Colmar Things to Do Tips by ExGuyParis

How To Get A Head House of Heads Review

La maison des Têtes

Built in 1609 for Colmar merchant Anton Burger, this gothic/renaissance home is decorated with over 100 fantastic faces. The building is now a hotel.

Walk by and appreciate the wonderful stone carvings that adorn this facade, or better yet, spend a night here (see Hotel tips).

Address: 19, rue des Têtes

He Gave Us Liberty Museums Review

Architect & Sculptor Fr?d?ric-Auguste Bartholdi was born in Colmar on August 2, 1834. Since 1922, the home of his birth has been a museum. Here you can see plans and models for his works, including the most famous: the statue of Liberty Enlightening the World.

See my travelogue on this page for the story of this statue, and what it symbolizes for France and the US.

Address: 30 rue des Marchands

Appreciate the beauty of the architecture Petite Venise Review

Colmar is full of architectural delights, ranging from 11th Century structures to more modern marvels. Take time to wander slowly, and bask in the history and beauty.

Address: All over the town

Fantastic Imagery Museums Review

A must-see activity in Colmar is a visit to the Musée d'Unterlinden. The Unterlinden museum, located in an old Dominican convent, is home to a remarkable work of art called the Issenheim Altarpiece.

Matthias Grünewald was born somewhere in the range of 1470 to 1480, and died in 1528. Little is known about this artist, other than the fact that he created an incredible masterpiece called le Retable d’Issenheim, [the Issenheim Altarpiece].

Matthias Grünewald d'Aschaffembourg was commissioned to create an altar for a church in Issenheim, a small town south of Colmar. The church belonged to an order of monks dedicated to Saint Anthony, and pilgrims visited their church to pray to this saint. Many of the pilgrims suffered from “Saint Anthony’s Fire” [ergotism], an extremely unpleasant skin disease caused by a strep infection. The disease causes fever, horrible skin eruptions, and often death. Grünewald’s paintings include several scenes of events in the life of Saint Anthony, as well as an image of someone suffering from this terrible disease.

Grünewald’s painted panels (1512-1516) are attached to a central segment with sculptures by Nicolas de Haguenau (circa 1500). Depending on the church calendar, various panels could be opened or closed to expose different paintings. There is an annunciation, a crucifixion, resurrection, the temptation of Saint Anthony, the death of Saint Sebastien.

The paintings of Grünewald are fantastic, literally and figuratively. We spent hours studying this work. Dive in; appreciate the powerful details and the incredible whole. Imagine the mind of the man that created this incredible imagery.

Address: 1 rue d'Unterlinden

Phone: 33 (0)3 89 20 15 58

Glory in the Details Museums Review

Another glimpse of the incredible detail in Grünewald's Altarpiece in the Musée d'Unterlinden. This image is from the Resurrection panel.

We spent hours in the museum; it was not at all crowded, so we could savor the wonders of this masterpiece.

Address: 1 rue d'Unterlinden

Website: http://www.musee-unterlinden.com