2026-04-28 Colmar Encore & Walk around Logelheim

 

When last in Colmar, we did not have time to finish the walking tour. This morning we will do that. An easy morning outing that is less than 20 minutes away by car.

Of special interest is the area of Colmar called "La Petite Venice" (Little Venice). We found street parking just a block away from the river Lauch, a small river running through Colmar. 

A tourist shop near the bridge overlooking the Lauch River

When we got to the river, it was immediately obvious why this is called Little Venice.

The French-Germanic version of Venice

Our plan includes a boat ride through Little Venice in a flat-bottomed boat, the Franco-Germanic equivalent of a gondola

The boats are accessible so Lynn will also take this trip.

Loading the boat with help. Kim, Dave, Clark, Janis

These boats have an oarsman, just like Venetian gondolas.  Unlike gondolas, they are powered by completely silent motors. 

a flat-bottom boat and the oarsman behind

The 25-minute ride, narrated in both English and French, takes us up and down a short section of the Lauch River within Colmar. 

Except for the half-timbered buildings, this could be Italy. On the right is the Indoor Market with its red-fenced cafe area. Good place for coffee, I think.

We went under several bridges, warned ahead to lower our heads. 

Our guide tells us that the colors of the houses tell you the occupation of the owners: blue for fishmongers, white for bakers, yellow for cheese makers and green for market gardeners. 

We had no idea that the house colors had any significance. 

As the banks became greener with vegetation, the houses got bigger denoting the wealthier neighborhoods along the Lauch.

Houses along this stretch of the Lauch were set back from the river and hidden from view.

The whole crew: Lynn & Dave, Dale & Kim, Clark & Janis

Our next target is the covered market. (Marché Couvert) In many larger cities in France, there is a year-long indoor market with permanent stalls for butchers, bakers, cheese mongers, wine sellers etc. We wandered the market without purchasing anything (or taking a photo of the inside of this market - hard to believe). 

We wandered into the main part of the old city where all the Easter stalls were now closed. 

In places, very oversized pots held small trees or bushes. Very useful for places where trees planted in the soil would not be practical. 

This planter is almost as tall as Kim

We've seen several ways that mail is delivered in cities - none of them by car. We've seen bicyclists with saddle bags, walkers pushing small 4-wheel "strollers" with mailbags instead of baby seats. This mail carrier has a 3-wheeled bicycle with a box behind. I expect this type of vehicle is for delivering small packages as well as mail.  All of these suggest that France is serious about limiting vehicle emissions. We've seen so many bicyclists of all ages in town and country and so many city delivery services also use bicycles. So many cars are hybrids or electric. And so many cities, especially old ones, have extremely limited parking and passable streets certainly makes the decision easier. The fact that gas is more than $9.00 per gallon certainly also contributes to the increased use of foot power rather than horsepower. 

Lots of postal delivery people seem to be women. A good way to get in your steps each day!

We came home for lunch (only a 20 minute drive) and in the afternoon, a group of walkers explored our village of Logelheim. The first thing Dave saw was a poster for a beer fest in early May. 

Dave had to hustle to catch up with the rest of the group after stopping to study this fest sign.

Logelheim is small and rural - a farming community. As is usually the case in French cities, the farmsteads are in the village and the fields are outside the city limits. Farmers drive their tractors to and from their fields. Animals (if any) live in barns that are often attached to the farmhouse. With a population of just under 1000 residents, this village has become a bed-room community for those working in Colmar. Farmers and local service providers make up only 10% of the working community.

Logelheim is only a few streets

Farming has been the primary occupation since the middle ages

This in-town farmhouse is located on the right, barn on the left, machine shed in back

Tractor parked in the courtyard of the farm complex

It has been dry here (beautiful weather for tourists but not so much for farmers) So farmers are watering their fields in preparation for planting. 

Having the delineation between village and cropland makes everything more picturesque for some reason. These paths are great for walking as testified by Kim who walks these paths twice a day. It's a great place to be staying. 

Path along the Ill River

As an aside, the house we are renting is the last one in the village, with good reason. Our host René is a retired farmer and his son now runs the farm, whose fields abut this house as well as the retirement home of René and Dominique.