So, traveling with family and one of them wants to really go to Colmar. I think there is some religious relic there they want to see. We will go from Zurich. I think it is a couple of hours. Please advise-- places to see in Colmar-- any restaurant recommendations- any insight. Is there a town next to Colmar worth visiting too? This is a day trip from Zurich.

Thanks! Be nice.

Besides seeing the Unterlinden in Colmar, you might want to see the train or the automobile museum in Mulhouse.

A long trip for very little (though to some an icon can be the raison d'etre for going. Visit Petite Venise - a lovely old part of town with some canals. Maybe try to sell her on Einseldeln a famous pilgrimage center near Zurich?

That sounds like a ridiculous diversion to me, unless you have other reasons, and there are good ones, for visiting and spending some time in Colmar.

There are plenty of towns "next to" (generally speaking) Colmar, but again, if you want to visit the area and enjoy all it has to offer, plan a trip there, not a shout-out from Zürich.

Yeah if you want to spend the night in Colmar you would have a great experience - walk around relatively small Colmar first day and second day join a bus tour or rent a car or bicycles to wander along the Alsace Wine Road - a small regional road hat goes from Colmar thru a string of villages famous for their wines - if driving keep in mind France now has severe laws against alcohol and driving - nice to take a tour and sample several wines?

Colmar is also famous for its copy of our Statue of Liberty (in the middle of a round-about on the edge of town - the original statue was cast here by a famous artist - the statue was moved in pieces to New York City, where it still stands a silent and powerful sentinel over New York harbor.

I totally understand ambitious day trips. One should not always be reasonable or logical in life.

Here is the train museum in Mulhouse: Mulhouse rail museum - La Cité du Train | Any Port in a Storm

Paper museum in Mulhouse is exceptional. Wallpaper Museum - Musées Mulhouse Sud Alsace
Strasbourg city centre is pretty.
Colline Notre Dame du Haut
Neuf-Brisach fortified town
and on and on

With just one day trip I'd chose Strasbourg where a full day of wonders awaits but any of thes places are too far from Zurich IMO to be viable day trips and there are even better places within easy reach of Zurich - like Interlaken area and the Jungfrau - the Alpine paradise of your dreams.

Colmar is partly influenced by its German relations, which is responsible for quite a number of its beautiful architecture and renaissance artwork . For sightseeing in Colmar, check out the old custom House, the Ancien Corps de Garde (Former Guard House), the Eglise Saint Mathieu and Saint Martin, or better still, ride a bicycle around the town and soak in the florals displays and buildings.
Regarding neighbouring cities, I would recommend Strasbourg, it's a few miles away from Colmar and about an hour train ride away. With your time frame, exploring these two cities maximally would be possible.
Hope this helps and have fun.

While a stay is definitely recommended, a day trip is not a bad idea if that's the only thing you can do. I would however recommend going early in the morning and coming late in the night, since the place is quite uncrowded in the mornings and late evenings. In the afternoon you can head to one of the nearby villages(which also might be a bit crowded). But note the train timings, they are not as frequent, and getting tickets at the train counter is super slow, always have the app. Have a look at my TR: https://ashwinbahulkar.wordpress.com...france/colmar/ Riquewihr is a nice village to go to, there are many others as well. The Chateau Konigsburg is interesting as well.

I don't think that most of you are taking into consideration that one of the family members wants to go to Colmar to see an important religious relic. That will not be in lovely Strasbourg or in the impressive Haut-Koenigsbourg chateau or even in Mulhouse which I mentioned. Nevertheless, the OP and family should consider spending a night or two in Alsace if at all possible. Sometimes this is not possible, but you can bookmark some ideas for a future trip. For example, when I go to Zürich, I stay with friends since it is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Paying for accommodations would be a deal breaker for me.

Thank you for the ideas and replies. Kerouac thank you for chiming in too. I always enjoy the forums and find them helpful.

For the cliche vista view of 'overlooking a vineyard-surrounded Alsace village', the path overlooking Riquewihr would make a worthy stop. Kaysersberg is also attractive. That was where Anthony Bourdain took his life last summer.
I am done. The end.

I went to Colmar for just one purpose . . .to see the Isenheim altar and was not at all dissatisfied with my choice. I don't much like quaint or splendid or scenic or charming or wine roads, but I do like following the work of sculptors or painters and Matthias Grunewald is one of them. This might be the relic your family member is talking about. Obviously this had long been on my must see list and the trip was certainly worth it.