Discover Celles-Sur-Plaine: lake, trails and sawmills

Celles-Sur-Plaine offers a range of options for a trip: Lac de la Plaine as a base for water sports and leisure, trails of varying lengths, and historic sawmills. Consider whether you are particularly interested in the lake, a specific route, or the history of sawmilling.

At Lac de la Plaine and on the trails

Lac de la Plaine is a water sports and leisure hub in Celles-Sur-Plaine. On its shores is Pôle Sports Nature, a leisure park with more than ten activities. These include pedal karts, pedal boats, mini golf and archery; rides on a towed inflatable tube are also offered. There are also play areas for children at Lac de la Plaine. There is one important restriction concerning swimming: swimming has no longer been offered at Pôle Sports Nature since 2024.

There are marked routes at Lac de la Plaine for individual visits. One route option is the Véloroute - voie verte de la Plaine: it is 27.3 kilometres long, intended for several types of non-motorised use, and passes by the lake in Celles-Sur-Plaine. The Circuit pédestre - Celles - Pierre Piquée walking trail offers a different challenge. It starts in Celles-Sur-Plaine, is freely accessible at all times, measures 9.4 kilometres and has an elevation gain of 462 metres. This gives you both the route length and elevation gain of the walking trail for comparison: the Véloroute is almost three times as long, while the walking route has its own elevation profile.

Historic sawmills and their technology

When planning a visit to Scierie de la Hallière, take its current access status into account: it is temporarily closed to the public due to ongoing work. Check before your trip whether access has since changed. As a historic site, it is one of the last surviving examples of the small sawmills that once stood along the waterways of the Vosges valleys.

The technology at Scierie de la Hallière can be understood by looking at its drive system: the force of the river sets a waterwheel in motion, which drives a vertical saw through a transmission. The listed features include the facades and roofs of the sawmill and residential building, as well as the mechanical equipment, especially the two so-called high saws. The listing was made by decree dated 30 March 1978. The site thus brings together preserved machinery and the protection of the buildings associated with it.

At Scierie Lajus, the listed features comprise a diversion channel that returns water to the river, a waterwheel and a high saw. The listing was made by decree dated 7 May 1982. These features offer a concrete insight into the structural and mechanical elements that make up this sawmill.

Visit to Brasserie du Pays des Lacs

Brasserie du Pays des Lacs also welcomes visitors. There, you can discover craft-brewed beers and soft drinks, as well as the production facilities. This adds an insight into beverage production to the nature and history themes. For planning your trip, this provides a choice of different interests: leisure by the lake, trails of varying lengths, historic sawmill technology, or a visit to the brewery.

Discover more destinations: Vrécourt, Corcieux, Mazirot, Nayemont-les-Fosses, Liézey, Vecoux, Légéville-Et-Bonfays, Xonrupt-Longemer

For the broader travel overview: Vosges.