Colmar
On the Alsatian plain at the foot of the Vosges, in the heart of the region's wine route.
Overview
Cycling in Colmar
From Colmar the road tilts up almost immediately into the Vosges, with the Col du Platzerwasel, the Grand Ballon, the Col de la Schlucht, the Col du Pré de Raves and the long drag of the Col d'Hahnenbrunnen all within reach of a single day out. Vineyard lanes above the town make for easy warm-ups, the forest roads are smooth and lightly trafficked, and Colmar itself offers good rail links, plentiful lodging and a compact old centre to come back to.
Why it works as a base
Colmar sits out on the Alsace plain, so every ride starts flat: vineyard lanes, then a long false flat west while the Vosges grow in front of you. The valleys close in — the Fecht towards Munster, the Lauch towards Guebwiller — and the road tips up and stays up. It's a base for riders who like long, rhythmic climbing at moderate averages, with enough double-digit pitches in the steeper valleys to keep you honest about gearing.
The climb that brings most people here is Col de la Schlucht, but the roads around it are what make the week: Petit Ballon and Col du Platzerwasel above the Munster valley, Le Markstein to the south, and, across the Rhine, the Kandel in the Black Forest. There's bike hire in town, so arriving without a bike is a workable plan rather than a compromise, and stopping mid-loop for a coffee is just what people do around here.
Cycling in Colmar at a glance
| Nearest airport | EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 54 km |
|---|---|
| Climbs within 50 km | 27 |
| Signature climb | Col de la Schlucht — 17.8 km, 4.2%, +754 m |
| HC / Cat-1 climbs | 8 |
| Rental shops in town | 10 — ranking |
| Bike hire | 9–45 €/day |
| Cycling cafés in reach | 6 — ranking |
| Best season | May–October |
| Main event | L'Alsacienne — 27 June 2027 (Flagship Vosges cyclosportive from Lac de Kruth over up to 13 cols, about 40 km from Colmar) |
Climbs
The best cycling climbs near Colmar
Iconic ascents within riding distance.
Col du Firstplan
7.1 km · 5.7% · +407 m
Vosges · 15.6 km away · 2 approaches
Petit Ballon
9.8 km · 7.5% · +737 m
Vosges · 20.4 km away · 2 approaches
Col des Bagenelles
11.3 km · 4.6% · +524 m
Vosges · 22.2 km away · 2 approaches
Col du Bonhomme
15.4 km · 4.1% · +631 m
Vosges · 22.8 km away · 2 approaches
Col du Pré de Raves
12.9 km · 4.9% · +630 m
Vosges · 23.1 km away · 2 approaches
Col de la Schlucht
17.8 km · 4.2% · +754 m
Vosges · 25 km away · 2 approaches
Col du Platzerwasel
10.3 km · 6.9% · +713 m
Vosges · 26.4 km away
Col du Grand Ballon
6.4 km · 8% · +509 m
Vosges · 27.1 km away · 2 approaches
Col Amic
11.2 km · 4.7% · +531 m
Vosges · 28.3 km away · 2 approaches
Col d'Hahnenbrunnen
23.8 km · 3.6% · +846 m
Vosges · 28.9 km away
Le Markstein
19.5 km · 4.3% · +846 m
Vosges · 29.8 km away
Col de Herrenfluh
14.5 km · 4% · +583 m
Vosges · 30.4 km away
Start with Col du Platzerwasel if you want a straight answer about your climbing legs: 10.3 km at 6.9% from Metzeral, 713 m of gain, a summit at 1183 m, and a maximum of 13.9% — the steepest single pitch of anything on this side of the range. Category 1, 26 km from town, and the gradient stays honest nearly the whole way. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to recover.
Rentals
Bike rental in Colmar — ranking and prices
Top-rated local shops that rent to visiting cyclists.
4.6/5 from 277 Google reviews puts it among the area's most trusted.
Cycles et Sport 68
Runner-upRiders rate it 4.7/5 across 132 Google reviews.
Riders rate it 4.1/5 across 203 Google reviews.
Cafés
Cycling cafés in Colmar — where riders stop
Strictly cyclists' cafés — genuine meeting points, not just good coffee.
Rated 5.0/5 by 422 Google reviewers. For riders: a workshop, a tool station, club rides. There is a workshop on site.
Rated 5.0/5 by 36 Google reviewers. For riders: a workshop, secure bike storage. There is a workshop on site.
Rated 4.0/5 by 6810 Google reviewers.
Season
When to cycle in Colmar — season month by month
The comfortable window runs from about April, when days reach 15.3°C, through to October at 16.4°C. May (19.0°C) and September (21.4°C) are the pick if you want warm afternoons without midsummer heat; July and August sit at 26.0°C and 25.9°C, fine for long days if you start early. December through February is the off period — days of 5.7°C to 8.6°C, nights around freezing, and short daylight make the passes a cold proposition rather than a training block. By March, at 11.7°C, the valleys start to feel rideable again. January is also the wettest month of the year, for what it's worth.
| Month | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.7 °C | -0.1 °C |
| Feb | 8.6 °C | 1.0 °C |
| Mar | 11.7 °C | 2.7 °C |
| Apr | 15.3 °C | 5.5 °C |
| May | 19.0 °C | 9.7 °C |
| Jun | 23.9 °C | 14.4 °C |
| Jul | 26.0 °C | 15.9 °C |
| Aug | 25.9 °C | 15.9 °C |
| Sep | 21.4 °C | 12.1 °C |
| Oct | 16.4 °C | 8.2 °C |
| Nov | 9.8 °C | 3.6 °C |
| Dec | 7.1 °C | 1.3 °C |
Travel
Getting to Colmar with a bike — airports, trains, transfers
No airport close enough to be useful.
Flying with your bike? Most airlines charge €50-150 for bike boxes. Check baggage policies before booking. See verified fees for every carrier →
TRAVEL TIPS
- Flying with a bike? Most airlines charge €50-150 for bike boxes. Book bike transport when you book your ticket.
- Train travel: Many European trains accept bikes with advance reservation. Check Trainline or DB for bike-friendly routes.
The nearest airport is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 54 km away, and the transfer north to Colmar is a short, simple road run. Hire car, shuttle or train connection all work, and none of it eats into a riding day. If you'd rather not wrestle a bike box at either end, there's bike hire in town — for a week built around valley approaches and long passes, that's a reasonable trade. Just sort out what you need in advance, so gearing and sizing aren't a surprise on the first morning.
Explore
Things to Do in Colmar
Top-rated activities and experiences for your rest days.
ICONICS Tour: 1/2 day on the Wine Route, visit of 2 Villages + Tasting.
Alsace wine tour and medieval villages. Small group guided tour
Safari-Tour Villages and vineyard, 1/2 day afternoon
Through Alsace Vineyards and Wine Villages Private Bike Tour
Alsace 4 Wonders Small-Group Day Trip from Colmar
Segway Tours 2h in Colmar
FAQ
Cycling in Colmar — frequently asked questions
How many climbs are there around Colmar?
Within a 50 km radius of Colmar we catalogue 27 climbs — 8 of them HC or Category 1. The best-known is Col de la Schlucht.
When is the best time to ride in Colmar?
May, June, July offer the best riding temperatures. Around 8 months a year are warm enough to ride (ERA5 normals, 2015–2024).
Can you ride in Colmar in winter?
January averages only 6 °C daily highs and real winter conditions — Colmar is a season destination, not a winter one.
Where can I rent a bike in Colmar?
10 shops within 12 km of Colmar have verified bike rental, rated 4.5/5 on average. Our ranking lists them with prices and fleets where the shops publish them.
How much does bike rental cost in Colmar?
Published day rates in Colmar run from 9 to 45 EUR across 3 shops whose price lists we read — every figure is backed by a quote from the shop's own site.
What is the nearest airport to Colmar?
EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 54 km away.
Are there cycling cafés in Colmar?
6 verified cycling cafés operate within riding distance of Colmar — places with proof of bike racks, workshops or club rides, not just a name.
How do I get my bike to Colmar?
By rail with SNCF: bike €10 (bike space) / free bagged. Budget airlines take boxed bikes for 45–80 € per flight — our bike-transport table lists every carrier with verified fees.
What is the Col de la Schlucht climb like?
Col de la Schlucht runs 17.8 km at 4.2% for 754 m of ascent, topping out at 1139 m, with a maximum of 9.7%. It is the climb riders travel to Colmar for — the climb page carries the profile and every approach we have measured.
Which climb near Colmar is the hardest?
Kandel — 12.0 km at 7.6%, category 1, 909 m of ascent. Category comes from our own scoring (average gradient squared × length), so it is comparable across every climb on the site.
Which climbs should I prioritise from Colmar?
Start with Col de la Schlucht from Munster — it's the climb most riders base themselves in Colmar for, and its long, even gradient makes it the friendliest introduction to the range. Petit Ballon from Luttenbach-près-Munster and Col du Platzerwasel from Metzeral are the two that hurt: short by Alpine standards, relentlessly steep, with pitches into the low teens. Le Markstein from Buhl is the long, patient one. And if you want a day away, Kandel above Waldkirch sits across the Rhine in the Black Forest and is the hardest sustained effort within reach.
How many days are worth planning in Colmar?
Plan at least a long weekend in Colmar, and a full week if you want the region rather than a highlights reel. A short stay covers Col de la Schlucht and one of the steep pair, Petit Ballon or Platzerwasel, with a flat vineyard day between them. A week adds Le Markstein, the ridge road linking the passes, an easy recovery loop and a day trip over the Rhine to Kandel — and leaves room to shuffle the order if the weather turns.
Can I go cycling in Colmar without bringing my own bike?
Yes — bike hire is available in Colmar, so arriving without your own machine works fine. It suits anyone flying in, since the nearest airport, EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), is well under an hour away by road, and skipping a bike box makes the transfer far simpler. Book ahead in the busy months, be clear about the gearing you want for the Vosges climbs, and bring your own pedals, shoes and helmet if you care about fit.
Explore Colmar
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