The hidden mysteries of Brocéliande

Brocéliande is one of those places where your holiday begins with the words « Once upon a time… ».

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Enchanting scenery between myth and reality

As you stroll along paths between moorland and lakes, forests and rivers, you would not be at all surprised to encounter King Arthur, Viviane the Fairy, Merlin the Wizard or Sir Lancelot ! A magical place at any time of year with amazing walks, mythical places and architectural gems.

Learn all about the legends …

To get a good start, two essential places hold the keys to this enchanted kingdom. First stop : the Château de Comper. The original 13th century stronghold made way for a building constructed and adapted between the 16th and 19th centuries. It is home to the ‘Centre de l’Imaginaire Arthurien’, an exhibition devoted to the Knights of the Round Table. Several times a year, the grounds around the château echo to the sounds of medieval story-telling, music and tournaments – absolute must events ! Second stop : La Porte des Secrets, a modern museum in the centre of Paimpont which literally plunges visitors into the heart of the forest to share its secrets. Nadège from Gîtes de France, Ille et Vilaine, had the pleasure of visiting the museum with some of our gite owners : « At La Porte des Secrets we followed the voice of Pierre, forest warden of Brocéliande, from room to room to discover his beloved forest. The imagery is enchanting; the music and lighting effects create a wonderful imaginary atmosphere. It’s a marvellous introduction to the world of the forest !»

… to understand all the hidden mysteries of Brocéliande !

Lac - Pays de Brocéliande - Ille et Vilaine — Once you are up to speed with all the legends, you can hit the forest for real ! Head for the Val-sans-retour (valley of no return), Landes de Gurwant, Fontaine de Barenton, Château de Trécesson, Hôtié de Viviane (Viviane’s home) and Tombeau des Géants (Giants’ Tomb). Signposted paths take you all over the forest to wonderful places where the legends come to life. You can also go on a story walk. So put on your walking shoes and off you go into the magnificent forest with scenery of moorland, woodland, streams and outcrops of purple shale. Brocéliande is vast so take time to explore the forest away from the best-known tracks to discover its deepest secrets (along signposted paths). Our owners are always delighted to tell you about their favourite haunts…
Two natural attractions on the edge of Brocéliande…

At Iffendic, not far from Paimpont, lie two huge mirrors of water in a steep, wild valley known as the Chambre aux Loups (literally wolves’ chamber) whose breathtaking scenery includes cliffs up to 35 metres high reflected in the dark waters of the beautiful lakes. The banks of Lac de Trèmelin are less troubled… ! This 220-hectare lake is surrounded by two conservation areas with a nature discovery trail devoted to trees and birds. It is a great family destination with a lakeside beach, kayaks, pedaloes, canoes, sailing dinghies and electric boats. There are also treetop adventure trails with a giant zipwire over the lake : fun and thrills guaranteed !
How to get to Brocéliande
The huge forest has many different entrances. Take the N24 dual-carriageway from Rennes to Plélan-le-Grand (30km), which is 7km from centre of Paimpont and 15km from Iffendic.