Maison des Tetes (House of Heads), Colmar

If Colmar鈥檚 half-timbered streets are its stage, the House of Heads is the show-stealer that鈥檚 been holding the spotlight for over four centuries. Built in 1609 by Anton Burger鈥攁 wealthy merchant who eventually upgraded to the mayor鈥檚 chair鈥攊t rose on the footprint of his father鈥檚 home, only with considerably more flair. Architect Albert Schmidt gave it the full German Renaissance treatment: two sturdy main floors, a soaring gable with three extra tiers, and a central bay window so grand it demands a second look. And then, of course, there are the 106 carved heads and grotesques staring down at you from every angle鈥攕ome human, some mythical, all rendered in stone with top-notch precision.

In 1902, Auguste Bartholdi, the same man who gifted the world the Statue of Liberty, decided the gable needed a new headliner. So up went an Alsatian cooper in silvery metal, hoisting a wine bottle in one hand and a foaming beer mug in the other鈥攁 lively toast to Colmar鈥檚 wine trade and the Wine Exchange that once called this place home. Burger himself never saw it; he left for Basel in 1698 and died there later that year. The property passed to new owners, cycled through various uses, and even moonlighted as the Colmar Chamber of Commerce before finding its current calling.

These days, the House of Heads wears its history well. The fa莽ade still stops passersby in their tracks, while inside, the Renaissance bones meet the comforts of a five-star hotel and a Michelin-starred restaurant. It鈥檚 the kind of place where you can admire 17th-century stonework over dinner, sleep under centuries-old beams, and leave with the feeling you didn鈥檛 just visit Colmar鈥攜ou lodged in one of its best stories.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Colmar. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Maison des Tetes (House of Heads)
Sight Location: Colmar, France (See walking tours in Colmar)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Colmar, France

Create Your Own Walk in Colmar

Creating your own self-guided walk in Colmar is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Bartholdi's Statues in Colmar

Auguste Bartholdi is one of the most famous artists from Colmar. His works, such as the Lion of Belfort in Belfort, France, and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, are known around the world. Colmar is decorated with open-air pieces sculpted by the artist.

Many of Bartholdi's statues are found in fountains that occupy spaces in city squares or on significant street corners. Some of... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles

Colmar Introduction Walking Tour

Charlemagne was well acquainted with Colmar in his wars with the Saxons from 772 to 804 AD. Carolingian emperor Charles the Fat held an assembly there in 884. It was a free imperial city under Emperor Frederick II in 1226. Captured and held by Sweden in 1632, it was conquered at last by Louis XIV of France in 1673.

In 1871 it was annexed by the German Empire as a result of the Franco-Prussian... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles

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