Colmar Property Guide & Information

Colmar is a pretty town of 67,000 inhabitants located in the Haut-Rhin department at the heart of a beautiful vineyard area. Its urban surrounding counts not less than 116,000 inhabitants. Called the “capital of Alsatian wines”, it is a lovely and typical town with all the charm that can be found in Alsace, lying at the foot of the Vosges mountains. Native town of F. A. Bartholdi, father of the Statue of Liberty in New York, it has a rich cultural and historical heritage, but also is a pleasant town with many green parks. Indeed, it has been classified “flowered town 4 flowers” (the highest rating) every year since 1984 at the French conquest which rewards the most flourished towns.

Overview

Colmar is the third town of Alsace in terms of size, and the second of its department after Mulhouse. It lies 75km north of Strasbourg, 65km of Bâle in Switzerland and only 20km of the German border. Several watercourses flow through the town, among which the largest is the Lauch river, where the town is built on both borders.

This typical town perfectly illustrates what Alsace is. It is a lovely place of pleasure, with a beautiful architecture and a myriad of flowers everywhere. It is also well preserved, restored and has a centre mainly pedestrian. That is why this pleasant town attracts more than three million of visitors every year ! Of course, the numerous vineyards present on the west of the town have also something to do with it. Located almost half way of the renowned 'wine route', Colmar is also famous for its own vineyard.

Colmar Immobilier & Property Market Trends

At the beginning of 2009, property prices of the Haut-Rhin were around €2,000/sq m. However, as Colmar is a pleasant town that attract people prices to buy a property there are a bit higher than the average of Haut-Rhin, as they almost reach €2,200/sq m.

Furthermore, a majority of apartments is observable as only 18% of the whole properties in Colmar are houses. 92% of the dwellings are main homes.

To get updated info about the property prices in Haut-Rhin, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Colmar

Colmar is the second town of the department in terms of inhabitants. Except the fact that it is an economical pole, it has many other assets that attract people. Indeed, it is highly representative of Alsace and its culture.

• Climate: it can be surprising for a town of the northern part of France, but it has an exceptional climate which is, amongst other, beneficial for the production of good wine. Indeed, Colmar is the driest town of France with a precipitation average of 530mm per year. This is due to the position of Colmar at the foot of the highest part of the Vosges mountains. Thus, clouds are blocked by the crests and pour the major part of their water on the Lorraine side, leaving Colmar dry. Thus, more than the double of water falls in the town of Epinal (Lorraine).

• Events: Colmar offers a vast choice regarding festivals, street animations, fairs and other cultural events. One of the biggest event is the Foire aux vins d’Alsace, which is the occasion to taste the so good Alsatian wine but not only. Indeed, it is also a commercial fair and a music festival. It has been existing for more than 60 years and welcomed many international stars.

• Christmas: as in every area of Alsace, Christmas is a magic period and is celebrated as an institution. The old town centre is decorated and illuminated in such a way as to emphasize the beautiful patrimony. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Colmar take part to a decoration conquest, which award the most imaginative. Of course, the five Christmas markets play an important role in the enchanting atmosphere. One of them is entirely dedicated to children and an ice rink is set on a square in a winter atmosphere with chalets and many fir trees covered with snow.

• Scenery: Colmar is well located and offers splendid views on the Vosges mountains or the several vineyards that border the town. Some villages situated not far from there have to be visited as they stand in the middle of vineyards and represent typical Alsatian villages with lots of pretty half-timbered house. The most renowned are Ribeauvillé and above all Riquewihr which is one of the 151 “most beautiful villages of France” (a conquest awarding the most beautiful of the 32,000 villages of France). These villages are highly touristy and offers the possibility to taste numerous typical dishes or to buy the best local products.

• Wine: Alsace has a good reputation for wine, especially white wine which is the most produced in the region. Colmar is a privileged place as it offers a large choice of Grand Cru, especially of dry and aromatic wines, 91% of which are white wines. The grape varieties produced in the area are Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot gris.

Property Styles and Architecture in Colmar

Recently, the commune of Colmar has decided to restore the historical heart of the town and to transform it in a protected area of 36ha. Various projects of urban renovation were launched a few years ago in the western part of Colmar. Thus, old buildings were destroyed to construct new buildings.

• Apartments: around 80% of the properties are apartments. Many buildings were built recently, which means that modern apartments can be found in Colmar. However, they usually cost more than the older ones, that are also numerous.
• Houses with rendered walls: the houses in the surroundings of the town centre have more often rendered walls than the typical Alsatian half-timbered houses that can be found in the centre. They are often front-gabled houses ornate with brown shutters.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Alsace.