Things to do in Strasbourg, Colmar & Alsace

In Strasbourg, the Gothic Strasbourg Cathedral is free to enter and its astronomical clock stages an apostle parade, while the UNESCO-listed Petite France quarter, where fishers, millers and tanners once worked, is lined with 16th–17th-century half-timbered houses that lead on to the Covered Bridges and the Barrage Vauban Panoramic Terrace, lit up at night. The 70-minute Batorama Boat Tour on the Ill passes Petite France, the Neustadt and the European institutions with headphone commentary in 12 languages, and the European Parliament & Parlamentarium Simone Veil can be visited free of charge in any of the 24 official EU languages. In Colmar, wander the canal quarter of Little Venice and take a 25-minute boat ride from below Pont Saint-Pierre, see the Isenheim Altarpiece at the Unterlinden Museum and browse cheese, bread and pastries at the Colmar Covered Market, a market hall designed in 1865. Along the Alsace Wine Route, the villages of Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, and Eguisheim, with its ring-shaped lanes around the castle, pair well with Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle at 757 m, Mulhouse adds the Cité de l'Automobile, with two of the world's six Bugatti Royales, and the Cité du Train railway museum, and in Advent the Strasbourg Christmas Market spreads over eight areas of the old town while six Colmar Christmas Markets fill the half-timbered streets.

Good to knowAt Strasbourg Cathedral, enter by the south portal with your bag open for the security check; the astronomical clock's apostle parade at 12:30 needs a same-day ticket and does not run during the Christmas market. Bring a physical passport or national ID card to the European Parliament, which is closed on Sundays and public holidays, and note that the Barrage Vauban terrace hours vary by season and end as early as 16:00 in winter, while Haut-Kœnigsbourg's last entry is one hour before closing and the castle can close over lunch. In Colmar, the Unterlinden Museum is closed on Tuesdays and the Covered Market on Mondays, and the Christmas markets in nearby villages such as Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg run on separate schedules, so check the official site before a day trip.