One of the most idyllic places on the Route des Vins in Alsace is Colmar, the picturesque town also featuring the canal streets known as Little Venice due to the flower-covered facades along the canal. It has a unique heritage and history as location of merchants, fishmongers, and still today wine producers. The merchants in Little Venice transported their goods by boat – the obvious way since they had their stores and houses right at the riverbanks. You could tell the type of business from the colour of their house. Merchants used one colour, butchers another and so forth – resulting in a scenic natural painting in different shades.