🇫🇷 Colmar at Christmas: Hayao Miyazaki’s Fairy Tale Comes to Life 🎄

Inspired by Chinese Restaurant, I visited Colmar — only to discover it’s also the real-world inspiration for Howl’s Moving Castle! During Christmas, the magic feels even more real. 🎅 Christmas Market: One of Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets! Every street is filled with festive vibes. Sipping mulled wine while browsing handmade crafts and ornaments was unforgettable. 🚤 Petite Venise (Little Venice): Glide through canals on a boat ride (around €5, cash only) with colorful houses and Christmas lights twinkling along the water — straight out of a storybook! 🍽️ Bistrot des Lavandieres: The filming location for Chinese Restaurant. The building is unique, with show photos displayed inside, but it’s now a Western restaurant (food was just okay). 🏰 Maison Pfister: One of the architectural inspirations for Howl’s Moving Castle. A must-visit for Miyazaki fans — Colmar is the real-life version of Sophie’s town! ☕ La Krutenau: A cozy café near the boat ticket office. I had a cold drink here while waiting — the Christmas décor and aesthetics were charming! 🎨 Unterlinden Museum: Great for art and history lovers. The Isenheim Altarpiece is the highlight. I bought a beautiful postcard as a souvenir. 📅 Easy Itinerary Planning: Colmar is small and walkable. I used CircleTrip to plan my trip — its one-click parsing feature is genius! Just paste your travel notes🔗, and it maps all locations instantly. Smart scheduling and collaborative editing made it effortless. Highly recommended! #HiddenGems #Colmar #CircleTrip #TravelGuide #OffTheBeatenPath #FranceTravel