Region guide
What to do in the forest of Brocéliande
The Val sans Retour, the golden tree, Merlin’s tomb, the Barenton spring, the Abbaye de Paimpont and the Château de Comper: the complete guide to the forest of Brocéliande.
6 min read
Forty five minutes from Rennes, the Paimpont forest is the Brocéliande of the Round Table romances. Merlin, the fairy Viviane, Morgan and King Arthur have their places here, visited on foot among ponds, heaths and oaks.
Paimpont, the starting point
The village of Paimpont grew up around its abbey, beside a pond. Next door, the Porte des Secrets presents the legends and history of the forest: the best introduction before setting off along the paths.
The forest and its villages
Natural siteForêt de BrocéliandePaimpont · 1 day minimum, ideally 2 or 3 daysNearly 12,000 hectares around Paimpont, with forests, heathland, lakes and purple schist: the Val sans Retour, the Fontaine de Barenton, Merlin’s Tomb. A mostly private forest, with waymarked trails.
VillagePaimpontPaimpont · Half a day minimum, ideally a full day with a storytelling walk or the forestPaimpont brings together an abbey, a lake, schist and sandstone houses, the Porte des Secrets and the starting points of storytelling walks into the Arthurian legends of Brocéliande.
CastleChâteau de TrécessonCampénéac · 20 to 40 minutes to see it from outsideBy the water, in the world of Brocéliande, Trécesson is a private château of red schist surrounded by moats and legends.
Natural siteLac de TrémelinIffendic · 2 hours for the lake loop, a full day with childrenA lake of about 50 hectares in an estate of forest and heathland 30 minutes from Rennes: an accessible 5 km loop, a Blue Flag beach lifeguarded in summer, tree-top adventure and kayaking. Free entry.
The Val sans Retour
According to legend, Morgan held unfaithful knights captive here. The trail starts in Tréhorenteuc and follows the Miroir aux Fées pond to the golden tree, a dead chestnut covered in gold leaf, erected after the 1990 fire. In Tréhorenteuc, the Grail church combines Christian stained glass with Arthurian legend.
Merlin’s tomb and the Barenton spring
In the north of the forest, a few stones mark Merlin’s tomb, and the Fountain of Youth is close by. Further on, the Barenton spring is said to trigger a storm when you pour its water on the nearby stone.
The Château de Comper
On the edge of its lake, where the fairy Viviane is said to have been born, the castle houses the Centre de l’Imaginaire Arthurien: exhibitions, storytelling and shows in the summer season. The Château de Trécesson, surrounded by water, can be admired from outside.
Where to stay in Brocéliande
Stay in Brocéliande
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