Colmar

Colmar needs a full day: the Petite Venise (Little Venice) district, half-timbered houses over navigable canals, and the replica Statue of Liberty -Bartholdi, its sculptor, was born in Colmar- on the same walk. April-September is best, though December brings one of France's most photogenic Christmas markets. It's cheaper than Strasbourg. It's the unofficial capital of the Alsace Wine Route, with a historic center so colorful and well-preserved it inspired the visual style of Studio Ghibli's «Spirited Away».