Nancy & Colmar Girls' Getaway.
This time, I took a trip to Nancy and Colmar with a friend I made in France! We explored Nancy on our first day, hopped on the TER train to Colmar later that day, stayed overnight at a hotel, and spent our entire second day exploring Colmar! We found so many delicious eats and fun things to do, so I’m sharing them all with you here ❤︎
🍴La Casa Zaza
We were starving as soon as we arrived in Nancy, so we went straight for food. We walked in around 12:00 and ordered the lasagna and braised beef tongue! My friend said the lasagna was the best she’d ever had in her life 😆 The beef tongue was so tender we didn't even need a knife. I hadn't eaten such a huge chunk of meat since I started studying abroad, so I was super hyped to finally get my hands on a massive steak ✨ Plus, the complimentary salami appetizer was insanely good!
🎡La Foire Attractive
While wandering around after lunch, we stumbled upon an amusement park. I'm not entirely sure, but it looked like a traveling funfair with claw machines, go-karts, shooting galleries, and tons of rides for kids. I'm a huge rollercoaster fan and really wanted to go on one, but my friend hates thrill rides so I had to pass. I'd love to try it next time if I get the chance 🙋♀️
🎨Wall Art
On our way to the Nancy train station, we saw so many cool art pieces, including a bunch of street murals and this awesome 3D bear art popping out of the wall.
🏠The Wine Shop That Inspired Howl’s Hat Shop
After heading to Colmar, we went to check out the shop that inspired the hat shop in *Howl's Moving Castle* around 9:00 AM! As a massive Studio Ghibli fan since I was a little kid, this was such a precious experience for me! While we were snapping pics and geeking out over Ghibli, a crowd started to form. If you want to get good shots with fewer people, definitely go early in the morning!
☕️L’Aryémise
While strolling around Colmar, we found this adorable café and decided to grab breakfast here. I ordered their seasonal recommended tart and a caramel latte. Since we went in April, the seasonal special was a baked apple tart 🍎 The interior was super cute, and the tart was delicious and super filling—I was completely satisfied! By the time we left around 10:30 AM, there was already a line forming outside, so I highly recommend getting there early ✨
🎄Christmas Shop
When in Colmar, you absolutely have to visit the shop selling Christmas ornaments! Walking inside, it felt like full-blown Christmas even though it was only April. All the ornaments were seriously so adorable. They had tons of nutcrackers and the store was divided into different color-coded sections, making it so much fun to hunt for your favorites! I ended up bringing home a golden angel playing a trumpet 🪽
🍴Koïfhus
For lunch, we went to try Colmar's famous local dish, Choucroute. We also wanted some carbs, so we ordered a dish that had pie and pasta covered in cream stew, and shared everything between the two of us! The Choucroute came with 5 different types of meat, and the thick-cut bacon was my absolute favorite. The pickled cabbage (sauerkraut) was a bit too sour for my taste so I wasn't a huge fan, but my friend loved it, so I guess it depends on the person!
This time, we visited Nancy and Colmar! Before coming to France, I didn't even know Nancy existed, and I only knew Colmar as the setting for Howl's Moving Castle. But actually going there, the townscapes were adorable, the food was incredible, and they turned out to be amazing places! The Christmas markets are super famous, so if you ever visit France in the winter, you definitely have to stop by Colmar!
Well then, À bientôt ✌️
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