Late evening August sunshine amid the colourful flowers decorating historic Quai de la Poissonnerie or Fishmonger’s Wharf, part of the picturesque Little Venice district of Colmar in Alsace, Grand Est, France. The medieval and Renaissance houses here have timber framing drawn from both French and German traditions.
Colmar, Alsace, Grand Est, France: reflections of the historic half-timbered houses on the Quai de la Poissonnerie (FIshmonger’s Wharf or Quay) in the Little Venice quarter are disturbed by only minor ripples on the surface of the River Lauch as a slight breeze slackens in late evening sunshine. The flower-filled waterfront is lined with picturesque medieval and Renaissance timber-framed houses and riverside restaurants. In the past, the majority of Colmar’s professional fishermen lived here, united in a powerful alliance with the city’s boatmen. The fish they caught were stored in tanks before being sold here. The typical Alsatian architecture of Little Venice is a magnet for tourists, who can see traditional styles of timber framing drawn both from eastern France and from its nearest neighbour, Germany. Some of the houses have sculpted, curving timbers as in the German Fachwerk style, while in others, the timbers are straight. Most of the windows have shutters, either typically French louvres or solid boards. Some Little Venice houses can be traced back to the 1300s, while others were built at various times up to the 1700s. In 1706, a huge fire destroyed more than 40 houses in the district, but from 1978 to 1981, many of the surviving properties were restored and updated.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Colmar, Alsace, Grand Est, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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