Ancienne Douane, Renaissance administrative building in Colmar, France.
The Ancienne Douane stands as a rectangular structure with symmetrical facades, grand portals, and ornate balustrades adorning its exterior walls.
Built in 1480, this former customs house served as a checkpoint for imported goods and housed the municipal administration of the Décapole region.
The building incorporates human mask motifs, fluted pilasters, and full-circled arches, representing the architectural elements of the Renaissance period.
Located at 29 Grand'Rue in Colmar, the building now functions as a venue for temporary exhibitions and includes a restaurant for visitors.
The structure features a wooden loggia and a right-angled staircase connecting its intermediate building with six large ground-floor arches.
Location: Colmar
Inception: 1480
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
GPS coordinates: 48.07585,7.35910
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:45
Colmar displays traditional Alsatian architecture with timber-framed houses and medieval buildings. The old town includes historic districts with water canals, Gothic churches, and Renaissance structures. The city museums present art from medieval to modern times, regional history, and natural sciences. Notable buildings include Saint-Martin Collegiate Church, Unterlinden Museum, and Pfister House.
The Alsace Wine Route connects dozens of villages that have preserved their medieval structures. Half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries line cobblestone streets, while town walls and watchtowers testify to the region's strategic importance. Many villages feature Romanesque churches with sculptural decoration and historic town halls. Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, and Eguisheim display typical examples of this architecture. Painted wooden beams on houses, old market squares, and vineyards on surrounding slopes characterize these settlements. Castle ruins such as Haut-Koenigsbourg occupy hilltops overlooking the Rhine plain. The region also maintains religious buildings like Murbach Abbey or the church of Thann with its Gothic portal. Local museums present medieval manuscripts and liturgical objects. This cultural landscape combines winemaking tradition with architectural heritage spanning several centuries.
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Fontaine Schwendi
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Les grands soutiens du monde
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Grand'Rue
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Tribunal de grande instance de Colmar
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Cour d'assises de Colmar
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Maison zum Kragen
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Maison Kern
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Maisonnette Bohn
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Maison Sandherr
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Monument Pfeffel
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Maison zum Oesterreich
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Chancellerie de Colmar
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Square de la Montagne-Verte
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Maison au 48, rue des Marchands à Colmar
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Restaurant Le Fer Rouge
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Maison Pfister
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Square Pfeffel
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Rue des Tanneurs
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Maison Adolphe
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Place de l'Ancienne Douane
50 mReviews
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