Imagine that you have travelled up and down Alsace but have not included Colmar and its wine-growing industry in your visit...You will have missed an essential element of our region. Conversely, if you are only familiar with Colmar at the exclusion of the rest of Alsace, your knowledge of the region is insufficient. Microcosmically, Colmar has assembled within its boundaries a large share of Alsatian history, artistic wealth and the wine-growing industry. The city is an important key to unlocking the realities of Alsace today. Colmar is often compared to a historical museum. The presence of the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar is largely responsible for this comparison. This museum is home to several imperishable masterpieces from the Rhine renaissance. Colmar's past was defined by communial freedom, a proud bourgeoisie and busy corporate activity. Colmar is not simply beautiful to the eye but also to the mind as home to some important schools of thought. The harmonious aspect of Colmar has been slowly and progressively developped over the centuries. This large city has over 100,000 inhabitants and is the site for the prefecture of the department of the Haut-Rhin as well as an appeals court. The Alsatian wine-growing industry and many important vineyards revolve around Colmar. The inevitable consequences of being an important city in today's world is that Colmar's outskirts do not have the same cachet as the historic center of the city. Thus, it is unfortunate when the tourist's first impression of Colmar is formed by the initial outskirts which ressemble many other cities and do not offer any particular charm. It is when the tourist arrives in the center of the city that Colmar reveals its charm: the colors and atmosphere of streets and alley-ways have been well-preserved since the Middle Ages and their ancient houses are reflected in the water which passes through the city. Churches, cloisters, half-timbered houses, balconies, facades with ornate wood sculptures, paintings, gables, and edifices from the Renaissance all add to this very special city center. The leather maker's district has recently been restored to create one of the most pictoresque areas, "Little Venise." Colmar is a jewel to which the different centuries have added their particular facets.