You can’t visit Colmar, France without trying some of its famous Alsatian Cuisine. For busy tourists, the most handy option is the Tarte Flambée or Flàmmeküeche which translates as "Pie baked in the flames." and we found a delicious one at La Krutenau Wistub.
As the story goes, the tarte flambée originated as a way to test the heat of the local wood-fired ovens. At the peak of its temperature, the oven would have the ideal conditions in which to bake the tarte flambée. The wood embers would be pushed aside to make room for the tarte in the middle of the oven, and the intense heat would bake it in 1 or 2 minutes, resulting in a delicious thin pizza-like flatbread and confirming the oven was ready for bread-baking.
There are many variations of the dish, but we chose the Tarte Flambée Gratin which consisted of Fromage Blanc (white cheese), Crème Fresh, Lardon and Onions and Fromage Rapé. It was wonderfully flavorful and cheesy especially when complimented by crisp fresh Alsatian white wine and a nice cold beer!
There are many variations of the dish, but we chose the Tarte Flambée Gratin which consisted of Fromage Blanc (white cheese), Crème Fresh, Lardon and Onions and Fromage Rapé. It was wonderfully flavorful and cheesy especially when complimented by crisp fresh Alsatian white wine and a nice cold beer!
As I said above, we chose to enjoy this traditional dish at La Krutenau Wistub (Winestube) which is located on Rue de la Poisson in the Krutenau District of what is called the “Little Venice” of historic Colmar. The canal area was originally used by market gardeners, fish mongers and tanners who brought their goods into Colmar via small flat-bottomed boats.
These groups were organized into corporations or guilds. The brightly painted half-timbered houses dating from 1350–1609, that line the nearby streets, belonged to members of these powerful guilds. If you are interested in seeing these beautiful houses from the canal, you can board canal boat tours of the Little Venice, at the Saint-Pierre Bridge.
The terrace café of La Krutenau Wistub is located right next to the first stop in the tour of at the Quai de la Poissonnerie (Fishing Quay), which is accessible by a small bridge that crosses Rue des Tanneurs. Fishermen used to sell fresh fish here that had been caught in Colmar’s waters.
These groups were organized into corporations or guilds. The brightly painted half-timbered houses dating from 1350–1609, that line the nearby streets, belonged to members of these powerful guilds. If you are interested in seeing these beautiful houses from the canal, you can board canal boat tours of the Little Venice, at the Saint-Pierre Bridge.
The terrace café of La Krutenau Wistub is located right next to the first stop in the tour of at the Quai de la Poissonnerie (Fishing Quay), which is accessible by a small bridge that crosses Rue des Tanneurs. Fishermen used to sell fresh fish here that had been caught in Colmar’s waters.
We had a great time watching people glide by, enjoying their ride through the green canal waters. The canal and half-timbered buildings nearby create a village atmosphere and make the La Krutenau Wistub and its beer-garden style terrace a relaxing and tasty place to take a break on a busy afternoon exploring Colmar.
La Krutenau Wistub - 1 rue Poissonnerie
68000 Colmar
68000 Colmar
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