As part of a drive to enhance the urban environment and support the ecological transition, the city of Colmar has carried out new planting in front of Saint-Martin Cathedral, a Gothic gem in the city centre. At the heart of the project is the planting of trees carefully selected for their ornamental value, their suitability to the local climate and their environmental impact. 

Particularly ornamental species were chosen, including Parrotia persica, Zelkova schneideriana and Acer davidii. These fine multi-stemmed specimens, selected by the city’s parks department, provide a calming contrast to the cathedral’s ochre stone and offer welcome shade during the hottest months. Their presence restores a living, ever-changing dimension to this heritage space, evolving with the seasons. 

This greening of the forecourt does more than reshape the urban landscape; it also reaffirms the place of nature in the city and the possible dialogue between history and modernity.