Who does not know it, the round cheese with the monk as a hallmark and the preparation with the rotary knife, which results in the well-known and beautiful "roses"?! In the shop you can hardly resist the temptations and a tasting (or more) should not be missed. It should be noted that there are different degrees of maturity of the cheese and that the same tastes significantly different depending on the cheese. Add some fresh bread, nuts, grapes (in solid and liquid form) and you can hardly resist buying the delicacy.
What is definitely worth it: a guided tour. Ideally, one starts with the Aptei Bellelay, which is completely underestimated because of its proverbial simplicity. The history is as long as it is varied and that the European nobility sent young gentlemen here for training is just as little known as that the political influence was so great at the time that France, Germany and Italy were associated. ..couldn't exactly measure / create...but at least had such an important influence that Bellelay became a kind of European center. How did this happen? Well, the way back then from France (apart from the very southern connections) and Germany to Italen, the religious center in Rome, turned out to be extremely difficult. The Alps and the Jura formed a natural barrier that was almost impossible to conquer. According to the expert, only the passage at Bellelay was passable at the time. During his tour, you also learned more about the hospital, its former use and as a psychiatric ward up to modern times. It would go beyond the scope to list further details here. The history of Bellelay, its monastery / abbey and later the hôpital are impressive, just like the view from one of the two towers at the main gate, which is really worth climbing, even if it's only for those with a head for heights!
Once you've done that, you can continue seamlessly, via the main road to the cheese production site. Hence the tasting mentioned in the introduction, which is well deserved. The tours can be booked there and don't cost the earth, and they are also offered in several languages.