Discover Melle: Churches, Art and Mining

Melle combines Romanesque churches, contemporary art, a museum dedicated to the Monet&Goyon motorcycle brand and a mine tour. These themes offer different focuses for a stay, from architecture and art in the urban landscape to the history of technology and mining. If you are looking for a hotel in Melle, you can start by considering which of these aspects is the main reason for your trip.

Nature and Art Sites in Melle

The Chemin de la Découverte is a former railway line that has been converted into an arboretum. It is freely accessible and free of charge; guided tours are available by prior arrangement. If you would like to include a guided tour, plan ahead to make the necessary arrangements. Its history as a railway line and its conversion into an arboretum give this place a different focus from the town’s churches and museums.

Le feu inventé is located in Parc de la Maladrerie: anthropomorphic—that is, human-like—sculptures made from split tree trunks that have been blackened by fire. The materials and treatment are an integral part of the work’s description. Also located in Parc de la Maladrerie is Jardin d’eau - Jardin d’orties, Gilles Clément’s first “Jardin de résistance” in Melle. The Musée des nuages is an open-air museum.

Contemporary artworks acquired and preserved in Melle can be seen among the town’s built and planted heritage. Art in Melle can therefore be explored through more than a single collection: the town’s built and planted heritage is also part of the subject. If you are interested in the contemporary art biennale, you can also include its various exhibition venues in your travel plans.

Museums and Churches

The Musée Monet & Goyon in Melle is dedicated to the motorcycle manufacturer Monet&Goyon. Almost 40 motorcycles and accessories from the period are on display. The collection offers a tangible introduction to motorcycle history; the almost 40 motorcycles and period accessories provide a different focus from the public artworks or Romanesque architecture.

Saint-Savinien is the oldest of Melle’s three churches and was built within the medieval castrum. Saint-Hilaire Church is considered one of the most complete examples of Romanesque architecture in Poitou and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is accessible to people with reduced mobility; check the specific conditions before your trip. Saint-Pierre adds a clear historical perspective to the picture of the churches: it was built at the beginning of the 12th century. The available information thus distinguishes the churches by their respective historical and architectural contexts.

Mining and the Biennale

On a tour of the Mines d’Argent des Rois Francs, you can discover the underground mine network and ancient mining techniques. The tour brings together two aspects: the underground workings and historical mining methods. For your travel plans, this offers a different focus from a visit centred mainly on churches, art or the motorcycle collection.

The contemporary art biennale in Melle uses churches, a temple, the Hôtel de Ménoc, parks and the Chemin de la Découverte as exhibition venues. If you want to plan your trip around the biennale, check the dates of the event in advance. This lets you tailor your visit to your interests without treating art venues and churches as identical experiences.

When looking for a hotel in Melle, it helps to decide first what your stay is for: architecture, art, motorcycle history or a mine tour each appeal to different interests.

Discover more destinations: Le Beugnon, Villiers-En-Bois, Pamproux, Lezay, Airvault, Moncoutant, Boussais, Champdeniers-Saint-Denis

For the broader travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.