Quai de la Poissonnerie at first light

The Quai de la Poissonnerie is the old fishmongers' street, a run of low, steeply gabled houses in ochre, red, blue and green standing directly on the bank of the Lauch. It was the working quarter — the catch came in by boat and was sold here — and the houses are smaller and closer together than in the rest of the old town, which makes the colour read as one continuous band.

It is the alternative to the bridge fifty metres away. There is no single postcard composition to queue for; instead you get a long run of frontage that works from either end, from the far bank, and from the water's edge looking along it. A couple walking the quay with that colour behind them is a better picture than the same couple standing on the famous bridge, and nobody is fighting you for the position.

First light does the same job here as everywhere in Colmar: still water, warm colour, empty street. The quay faces roughly north-east across the channel, so early sun lands on the fronts and the reflections are strongest before the day's boats start. Later on, the buildings shade the water and the frames get cooler — still usable, but flatter.

Practical: these are homes and restaurants on a narrow public quay, so keep the walkway clear and keep it quiet early. The bank has no railing in places and the stone is slick after rain. In December the whole quarter is part of the Christmas market circuit, which changes the light entirely and the crowds completely — dawn or nothing.