Getting There -- If you're driving, take N83 from Strasbourg; trip time is 1 hour. Because of the narrow streets, we suggest that you park and walk. Leave the car in the Champ-de-Mars, or in the underground Place Rapp for a fee of around 1.10€ ($1.60) per hour, northeast of the railway station, and then walk a few blocks east to the old city; or park in the lot designated PARKING VIEILLE VILLE, accessible from rue de l'Est at the edge of the Petite Venise neighborhood, and walk a few blocks southeast to reach the old city. Trains link Colmar to Nancy, Strasbourg, and Mulhouse, as well as to Germany via Strasbourg, across the Rhine. Twenty-one trains per day arrive from Paris's Gare de l'Est (trip time: 4-6 hr.); the one-way fare is around 70€ ($102). For information, call tel. 36-35 or 08-92-35-35-35 from outside France.
Visitor Information -- The Office de Tourisme is at 4 rue Unterlinden (tel. 03-89-20-68-92; fax 03-89-41-34-13; www.ot-colmar.fr).
For information on wines, vintages, and winery visits, contact the CIVA (Alsace Wine Committee), Maison du Vin d'Alsace, 12 av. de la Foire-aux-Vins (tel. 03-89-20-16-20). It's usually open Monday through Friday 8am to noon and 2 to 5pm. Make arrangements far in advance.
Special Events -- Alsatian folk dances on place de l'Ancienne-Douane begin at 8:30pm on Tuesday from mid-May to mid-September. If you want to listen to classical music, visit during the first 2 weeks in July for the Festival International de Musique de Colmar (tel. 03-89-20-68-97; www.festival-colmar.com), which schedules 24 concerts in venues around the city, such as churches and public monuments. Les Mardis de la Collégiale, at place de la Cathédrale (tel. 06-71-06-50-18), offers concerts every Tuesday at 8:45pm from the end of July to mid-September. Tickets for these events cost 10€ to 15€ ($15-$22). You can get complete information on any of the events in town at the Office de Tourisme.
