Colmar

Colmar, Alsace's most beautiful city, feels made for wonder-struck tourists — its essentially traffic-free city center is a fantasy of steep pitched roofs, pastel stucco, and aged timbers. Plus, it offers a few heavyweight sights in a comfortable, midsize-town package. The town's distinctly French shutters, combined with the ye-olde German half-timbering, give Colmar an intriguing ambience. Antiques shops welcome browsers, homeowners fuss over their geraniums, and hoteliers hurry down the sleepy streets to pick up fresh croissants in time for breakfast.