An attractive town in northeast France, Colmar is one of the most popular tourist draws to the Alsace region. Founded in the 9th century, the city boasts many beautiful architectural landmarks, including churches, museums, theatres, mansions, monuments and fountains, many dating back to the 13th century. Colmar is surprisingly big for a medieval city, but visitors should still be able to walk around on foot without much trouble. In addition to its beauty, Colmar is a lively city with music festivals and other events throughout the year. It is also a centre for the German and French-influenced Alsatian cuisine, and visitors can sample local specialties like quiche Lorraine, Black Forest cake, Sauerkraut, and the many varieties of Alsace wine. Attractions in the town include the Musee d'Unterlinden (Museum under the Linden Trees) which is a small but popular art and history museum with an impressive collection of artefacts. The most famous piece is the magnificent Issenheim Altarpiece. Little Venice, a particularly pretty neighbourhood in Colmar, is a good place to take a gondola ride and enjoy the medieval architecture passing you by. The Eglise des Dominicains is a lovely church which now houses Martin Shongaurer's painting 'Madonna of the Rose Garden'. The gothic Eglise St-Martin is also well worth a visit.