At Lac de la Plaine, leisure activities meet marked trails, alongside a versatile route and traces of historic sawmills. Celles-Sur-Plaine offers a range of options for planning your visit: time by the water, outdoor routes and industrial heritage. A visit to the Brasserie du Pays des Lacs adds another distinctive touch.
Leisure at Lac de la Plaine
Lac de la Plaine is a watersports and leisure centre. The Pôle Sports Nature, a leisure park with more than ten activities, is located on the shore. These include pedal go-karts, pedal boats, mini golf and archery; rides on a towed inflatable ring are also available. Swimming has not been offered at the Pôle Sports Nature since 2024—a key distinction when planning your stay by the water.
There are marked trails at Lac de la Plaine for visitors to explore independently. There are also play facilities for children by the lake. So the lakeside offering includes trails and places to play as well as the activities at the PĂ´le, and the different options do not all involve the same things.
Cycling route or hiking trail?
The 27.3 km Véloroute – voie verte de la Plaine passes by Lac de la Plaine in Celles-Sur-Plaine. It is a route for several types of non-motorised use. So the route is not defined solely by cycling: when planning, it is also worth noting that it is intended for different forms of non-motorised travel.
The Circuit pédestre – Celles – Pierre Piquée offers a different route option. The hiking trail starts in Celles-Sur-Plaine, is freely accessible year-round, measures 9.4 km and has an elevation gain of 462 metres. It is shorter than the 27.3 km Véloroute; the elevation gain provides additional information for assessing the hike. The two routes can therefore be distinguished by their length, while the hiking trail also has an elevation figure.
Water-powered sawmills and craftsmanship
The Scierie de la Hallière is one of the last surviving examples of the small historic sawmills that once operated along the waterways of the Vosges valleys. Its mechanism is powered by the force of the river, which turns a waterwheel. A transmission system transfers its motion to a vertical saw. Protected features include the façades and roofs of the sawmill and residential building, as well as the mechanical equipment, including the two so-called frame saws. The site was listed under a decree dated 30 March 1978.
The Scierie de la Hallière is temporarily closed to the public while work is under way. Check its current status before visiting. At the protected Scierie Lajus, the complex includes a diversion channel that returns water to the river, a waterwheel and a frame saw. It was listed under a decree dated 7 May 1982. The features mentioned highlight different aspects: at Hallière, the focus is on the transfer of power, while the Lajus complex also features the waterway through the channel.
The Brasserie du Pays des Lacs welcomes visitors who can discover its craft-brewed beers and lemonades, as well as its production facility. This offers another insight into local production alongside the sawmills: here the focus is on brewing and making lemonades, not historic sawmill machinery.
Discover more destinations: Autigny-La-Tour, Sapois, Liézey, Grandrupt-de-Bains, Bruyères, Raon-Aux-Bois, Ainvelle, Martigny-Les-Bains
For the regional travel overview: Vosges.
