St. Martin's Church (Eglise St-Martin)

Long before it became part of France, Alsace was part of a Germanic empire, which is why the town's architecture and atmosphere often feel closer to Bavaria than to other parts of France. For centuries, Alsace was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and Colmar developed within that Germanic cultural sphere.

The oldest part of St Martin's church was built during the Roman occupation of Britain. It is uncertain whether at first the building was a church, a mausoleum, or something else. Bertha was a Christian princess from Tours in France. About AD 580 she married Ethelbert of Kent, who was a pagan Anglo– Saxon.

With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of 34 km 2 (13 sq mi), it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, while the northern 56% of the island constitutes the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin.

Christmas Market Place des Six Montagnes noires The original alignment of the half-timbered houses on either side of the River Lauch gave this emblematic area of Colmar its name, la Petite Venise, which is transformed into a real kids' paradise at Christmas.