Covered market of Colmar – What to taste and bring back?

History of the Covered Market of Colmar

The Covered Market of Colmar is a superb building located in the heart of the city center, in the district of Petite Venise. It was built in the 19th century by the architect Louis-Michel Boltz on the banks of the Lauch (the river running through Colmar), to allow merchants to bring their goods by boat.

Since the 50s, the boat is no longer used (if you want to discover the famous flat-bottomed boats of the market gardeners, you can always make a boat trip, it’s very nice!) but the building has kept its original purpose. For a while, the building also housed a parking lot, but fortunately this is no longer the case!

A remarkable building

The covered market building is constructed of brick and ashlar and has a metal frame with cast iron columns. To the southwest of the market, you can discover the statue of the little winegrower by Auguste Bartholdi, installed in 1869. It is now a copy and the original work is in the Bartholdi Museum since 1986.

The building is beautiful, especially in good weather when it is reflected in the Lauch. Inside, the place is full of charm and is a perfect setting for the market stalls! It has a pleasant and lively atmosphere.

What to taste and bring back?

There are many shops offering a wide range of local products and very good quality: organic breads, pastries, kougelhopf, foie gras, cheeses, organic vegetables, pretzels and sandwiches… among others! You can easily find what you need to bring back some gourmet souvenirs from Alsace .

It’s a good place to stop and do some shopping at the butcher, the poultry shop, the cheese shop, the baker, the fishmonger, the delicatessen, or even have a quick lunch, since the covered market is home to a few small restaurants, cafés and bistros (very simple but quite good).

Here are some addresses that I particularly like:

• L’Enfariné: one of my favorite bakeries in Alsace!
• Fromagerie Saint-Nicolas: one of the most famous cheese dairies in Alsace!
• La Ferme Schmitt: a poulterer also offering excellent foie gras
• Lemon and Basil: for a lunch or snack break
• Cuit Lu Cru: a caterer and restaurant of organic, seasonal, vegan and almost 100% gluten-free cuisine

Don’t forget to visit the florist, the coffee roaster, the wine seller or the spice shop for an olfactory and gustatory journey in Alsace and around the world.

Every first Friday of the month, the covered market of Colmar welcomes concerts in the framework of Scène Off.

My photos of the Covered Market of Colmar