Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church)
Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Colmar. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Colmar Colmar guide
About Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church)
A large Gothic collegiate church built between 1234 and 1365, locally nicknamed the cathedral though Colmar never had a bishop; its bell tower reaches about 71 metres.
The Collégiale Saint-Martin is a major Gothic church in Colmar, built between 1234 and 1365 for a college of canons who served the cult of Martin of Tours. Because of its size it is often called the 'cathedral', although Colmar was never the seat of a bishopric. The interior measures about 78 metres long and 34 metres wide at the transept, and the bell tower rises to roughly 71 metres, crowned by a Renaissance helmet-style top added in 1572 after a fire.
The church has an ambulatory, a feature unique among Alsatian churches, and its South portal, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, dates from the second half of the 13th century. Inside stands a Baroque organ case of 1755, whose pipes were originally built by Johann Andreas Silbermann but completely replaced in 1979. A rare 13th-century head of a beardless Christ survives among its Gothic stained glass, and the church was classified a monument historique in 1840.
Did you know? Colmar residents call Saint-Martin their cathedral, but the label is historically wrong: the town was never the seat of a bishop, so the building has always been a collegiate church, not a cathedral.
How long is a visit to Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church)?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church) worth your time?
Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church) is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Colmar, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Colmar
Day 1 of the Colmar in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Collégiale Saint-Martin (St Martin's Church)
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