📋 In this article
- -Where is the Brocéliande forest? Understanding the differences between Paimpont, Tréhorenteuc, Comper and Monteneuf, and how to find your way around.
- -Must-see places for a first visit Val sans Retour, Merlin's tomb, Barenton fountain, Comper castle and pond, etc.
- -Ready-made day ideas Depending on the time you have available and the way you travel (family, hiking, short stopover).
- -The essentials of legends and history A few stories about Merlin, Morgana and Viviane, and some historical landmarks to help you read the landscape.
- -Download the “First visit to Brocéliande forest” booklet A simplified map and practical resources to help you prepare your outing and keep a personal record of your visit.
🌲 Where is the Brocéliande forest?
On the maps, look for “Paimpont forest” rather than “Brocéliande”: the massif lies to the west of Rennes, between Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan.
Over the centuries, writers and scholars have identified this very real forest with the Broceliande of Arthurian texts, and today almost everyone refers to Paimpont and the surrounding legendary sites as “Broceliande”.
For you, this means one very concrete thing: there isn't “one” single entrance, but a group of places scattered around Paimpont, Tréhorenteuc, Comper, Concoret or Monteneuf, which together form what is known today as the Brocéliande forest.
Forest of Brocéliande: must-sees
Here are the places I return to most often, and which I think give a good first impression of Broceliande.
The Golden Tree, a unique symbol of the Brocéliande forest, overlooks the Val sans Retour waterfall in Brittany. ©Loïc Delplanque
| Location / set | What it is in a nutshell | Why go there |
|---|---|---|
| Val sans retour & Arbre d'Or | A valley near Tréhorenteuc associated with the fairy Morgane, with the Miroir aux Fées and the Arbre d'Or, installed after a fire in 1990. | A loop that combines the Miroir aux Fées, the crest of the valley, the Arbre d'Or and typical views of moorland and red shale. |
| Merlin's Tomb & Fountain of Youth | Situated between Paimpont and Saint-Malon-sur-Mel, with an ancient megalithic monument interpreted as Merlin's tomb and a nearby spring. | For a short walk on an easy forest path, passing by the Tomb and then the fountain, with a few explanations on the spot. |
| Barenton fountain | Forest spring accessible from Folle-Pensée (commune of Saint-Malon-sur-Mel), with a basin, a stone slab and a path through the undergrowth. | An out-and-back walk of around 45 minutes to 1 hour on a forest path in a quieter area, ideal if you're looking for a cool, shady spot. |
| Porte des Secrets (Paimpont) | An indoor show tour of Paimpont Abbey, taking you through several rooms dedicated to Brocéliande: forest ranger, forest, korrigans, forge, master tree and an area dedicated to Destination Brocéliande. | An immersive experience lasting around 1 hour, combining sounds, lights, models and stories about the forest, its legends, its trades and current issues, before or after your walks. |
| Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien (Comper) | Château de Comper near Concoret, on the edge of a pond, offering exhibitions, storytelling walks and events based on the Arthurian cycle. | Combine a visit to the château with a walk around the lake, with a programme that changes with the season (temporary exhibitions, events, storytelling). |
What to do in the Brocéliande forest according to your profile
A first “discovery” day”
For a first contact, I often recommend : Paimpont (abbey, pond, Porte des Secrets), then the Val sans Retour from Tréhorenteuc.
In just one day, you can combine village life, staged legends and great scenery, without spending too much time in the car.
2 or 3 days to go further
Over two or three days, you can add the Tombeau de Merlin / Fontaine de Jouvence, Barenton, Comper or Monteneuf sectors, leaving time for quieter stops.
The idea is not to do everything one after the other, but to leave a little margin for unforeseen events and stops that will make you want to stay longer in one place.
Coming with the family
With children, I advise you to focus on places where stories and legends are at the heart of the visit: Porte des Secrets, storytelling walks, Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien, Val sans Retour, Comper.
These are places where you can talk about Merlin, Morgana, Viviane or the korrigans with something concrete in front of you, which brings the forest to life for them.
Legends and history: the basics for understanding the forest
The great legends to keep in mind
Before coming, knowing a few stories really helps you to get into the atmosphere of Brocéliande.
Merlin and Viviane
Viviane is also known as the Lady of the Lake; both names refer to the same character in Arthurian stories.
Comper is said to live in a crystal palace invisible to humans, hidden beneath the surface of the pond, and that Merlin helped her to create it.
This link between Viviane, Merlin and the “castle under the lake” is a fairly recent interpretation of the legend, particularly in the Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien and the scenography around Comper, but it works very well when you're facing the water.
To put it simply, Merlin falls in love with Viviane, passes on his magical secrets to her, and it is with this magic that she ends up locking him up for eternity, a little further on in the forest, near what is known today as Merlin's Tomb or Viviane's Hospice.
Morgane and the Valley of No Return
In Arthurian stories, Morgana is King Arthur's half-sister: she is taught by Merlin and learns the art of spells from him.
Armed with this magic, she shapes a small valley in the forest of Broceliande into the Val sans Retour, an enchanted place where knights who betray the love they have sworn are trapped.
Lancelot is the only one to cross this valley without giving in to the enchantment, because he remains faithful to Guinevere; by breaking the spell, he frees all those whom Morgana had been keeping there for years.
The korrigans, little creatures of the forest
The korrigans are little creatures from Breton legends, sometimes mischievous, sometimes protective, who live near stones, springs and paths.
They are said to enjoy leading distracted walkers astray, playing with time or hiding treasures, making them great allies for inventing stories while walking with children.
A few facts about the history of the Brocéliande forest
The Broceliande of books is based on a very real forest: the Paimpont massif, exploited and transformed for centuries.
For centuries, the forges of Paimpont used wood from the forest and a network of artificial ponds to turn their machines, and traces of this can still be seen around the Forges site and along certain paths.
They were the most important wood forges in Brittany from the 18th century onwards, and operated until the end of the 19th century.
In the 20th century and more recently, several major fires have affected Paimpont: the one in 1990, followed by the summer of 2022, left a strong mark on the massif and the Val sans Retour sector, reminding us just how fragile this forest remains.
When I return to these paths, I see both the areas still scarred by the fire and the regrowth that is coming back, and this has clearly changed the way I photograph Brocéliande.
Photographing the Brocéliande forest: a few tips
Loïc Delplanque - All rights reserved
What interests me most in photography is the intention.
Now that you know this forest a little better, you'll probably photograph it differently, trying to bring out the magic that it inspires in you.
A few ideas to bring out the magic of the place
Play with soft light and mist: come early in the morning, when the light is lower and the mist clings to the moors or ponds; it's often this that really tips the image into something more mysterious.
- Use vertical wire in undergrowth : A slightly longer exposure and a slight up and down movement transform the trunks into an unreal subject, echoing the legends of the forest.
- Try a long exposure on the water: Streams and small waterfalls become smoother and milder, adding to the unreal feel of certain sites.
- The important thing is the emotion you want to convey: a light, a detail, an atmosphere. Once you're there, think first about what the scene evokes in you, then about how to photograph it.
Your “First visit to the Brocéliande forest” booklet”
Your “First visit to the Brocéliande forest” booklet”
and Google Maps links to help you prepare for your first day in Brocéliande.
- ✅ A short presentation the forest of Brocéliande and its great legends.
- ✅ The right tourist offices with their addresses and direct links to Google Maps.
- ✅ Places not to be missed for a first visit, each with its own Google Maps link.
- ✅ And for your little ones some forest-inspired drawings to print out, to keep them busy on the journey 😉
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