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The Hacienda Paperie

Colmar: A Journey Into the Heart of a Fairy Tale

Half-timbered wine bar La Cave de Lina in Colmar’s old town, with green shutters, flower pots, and café tables on a cobblestone street under burgundy tree branches.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who used to wonder what the villages in her storybooks looked like. Well, today—55 years later—that girl walked through the village of her imagination: Colmar. Colmar looks and feels like the village from a Grimm brothers’ fairy tale. And this is Rue Mangold.

Here, life has unfolded since the 9th century, around the year 823. The medieval architecture tells the story—half-timbered houses leaning gently over narrow cobbled lanes, wooden shutters painted in soft blues and greens, and facades in warm hues of rose, peach, and ochre. Beneath the burgundy branches of a tree rooted near a curved doorway, time feels suspended. At a cozy restaurant tucked into one of these corners, I finally learned how to pronounce *Gewurztraminer*—the name of a beloved Alsatian wine—just as the locals do.

It is the evening of Friday, May 2nd, 2025. A holiday weekend. I keep walking until, without warning, I pause—still—watching the light go out in a distant window. Just like in the stories, something lingers in the shadows.

Narrow street in Colmar’s old town lined with pastel half-timbered buildings, including a blue house with shutters, a pink building labeled “Le Palais Gourmand,” and cozy café seating on cobblestones.
In Colmar, even the quietest corners seem to lean in and whisper stories—blue shutters, crooked beams, and all.
Close-up ground-level view of Le Palais Gourmand in Colmar, showing pink half-timbered facade with a steep roof and ornate gabled window, framed by nearby yellow and mustard buildings with white and brown shutters.
Up close, Le Palais Gourmand stands like a story half-told—its roof lifting toward the sky, its windows guarding secrets from centuries past.
A quiet corner on Rue Mangold in Colmar with a burgundy-leaved tree in front of a blush and terracotta Alsatian building, framed by colorful shutters and arched stone doorways on a cobblestone path
On Rue Mangold, even the trees seem to know the rhythm of the past—casting lace-like shadows on stone and stories on the air.
Quaint and full of charm—pink walls and heart-carved yellow shutters catch the eye like a smile you didn’t expect to find.
Walk with me down Rue Mangold, where shuttered windows, crooked beams, and heart-carved shutters turn quiet corners into living stories.

If Colmar has captured your heart, join me as I continue to wander through its cobbled lanes, and beyond, into the captivating cities of Spain. From the lively alleys of Barcelona to the tranquil beauty of Sitges, each destination offers its own unique rhythm, waiting to be discovered. So, come walk with me, and let the world reveal its magic, one step at a time.