Celles-Sur-Belle: Abbey, Poetry and Heritage

In Celles-Sur-Belle, the highlights range from abbey history and historic motorcycles to poetry, goat’s cheese and natural heritage. There are also opportunities to get active: you can explore a poetry trail that is open year-round or take a look at cycling route V93. The different places and activities give your trip a variety of focuses—from architectural history and collections to walking and cycling.

Abbey, Motorcycles and Church Art

The Abbaye Royale is a 17th-century abbey rebuilt on the remains of an 11th-century abbey complex. An audio guide presents 1,000 years of its history. You can discover both the building’s history and a much longer historical period here. The abbey hosts exhibitions every year.

A different collection awaits you at the Musée des motos anciennes: 45 motorcycles dating from 1903 to the 1960s are on display. They were made by French, British, German, American, Belgian and Italian manufacturers. The collection’s range of dates and countries of origin offers a different cultural perspective from the abbey.

The Romanesque Église Saint-Maixent, dating from the 11th century, is in Verrines-sous-Celles. The listed, fully restored building has slate roofs and cornices decorated with figures of beasts. Alongside the abbey’s history, Romanesque architecture and individual architectural details are also a focus here.

Poetry to Read and Experience

Celles-sur-Belle organizes the “Semaines Poétiques Celloises” every year. The program includes poetry performances, creating collections of poems with school students, and welcoming poets. This annual event therefore features both stage performances and collaborative work on poems.

You can also visit the Promenoir poétique, which is open year-round. It follows a local cultural trail and combines a walk with reading poetry. This offers a different way to experience poetry from the annual performances: here, walking and reading go hand in hand.

Cycling Route and Natural Heritage

The V93 passes through the commune of Celles-sur-Belle and connects the Marais Poitevin with Lac de Vassivière in the Creuse département. The cycle route opened on 20 August 2026. When planning your trip, you can distinguish this route from the local cultural activities: the V93 passes through the commune and has two named endpoints, while the Promenoir poétique combines a walk and poetry reading along a local cultural trail.

The commune’s natural heritage includes La Talle à Teurtous, a remarkable old chestnut tree standing 16 metres tall. It is located on the edge of Celles-sur-Belle, in the direction of Revêtizon. This tree adds a specific natural landmark with a named location to the area’s cultural attractions.

For a fun way to explore, you can use the free Terra Aventura app to take part in a digital treasure hunt. The activity invites you to explore the town in a playful way and search for a hidden treasure.

Goat’s Cheese and How It Is Made

The Maison des fromages de chèvre combines activities and workshops with a permanent exhibition. The exhibition covers the history of goat’s cheese production, farming practices, production methods and the variety of goat’s cheeses. Numerous activities and workshops are offered throughout the year and during school holidays. The exhibition and hands-on activities offer two different ways to explore the subject: you can learn about its history and production methods or choose an activity from the current program.

Discover more destinations: Argentière, Parthenay, Saint-Maixent-Lʼécole, La Boissière-En-Gâtine, Saint-Aubin-le-Cloud, Cherveux, Villiers-En-Plaine, Saint-Maxire.

For the broader travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.