Colmar.

Colmar sits among the vineyards of Alsace, its old town built along narrow canals lined with colorful half-timbered houses. In the Petite Venise quarter, old cottages line the water, their wooden beams reflected in the canals and flower boxes filling the windowsills for much of the year.

The Unterlinden Museum displays local art and history in the heart of the old town.

Colmar lies on the Alsace wine route, surrounded by vineyards producing the region's white wines. Winstubs around town serve Alsatian wine and food, and the grape harvest colors the hillsides each September. Wooden stalls fill the squares for the Christmas market each December.