BROCELIANDE FOREST, BRITTANY PAIMPONT
The Brocéliande forest, theatre of the King Arthur’s legend is a mythic heart of Brittany. With its landscape of purple moor, bocage and deep valley Brocéliand’s forest has got a spellbounding charm reveals in Paimpont and its neighbourhood. Come to dream about Viviane’s fairy or about Merlin l’enchanteur and to discover Brocéliand’s legends...
As Brocéliande it had a reputation in the Medieval imagination as a place of magic and mystery. It is the setting of a number of adventures in Arthurian legend, and locals claim the tree in which the Lady of the Lake supposedly imprisoned Merlin can still be seen today. Other legendary places said to lie within the forest include the Val sans Retour, the tomb of Merlin, and Hotié de Vivianne (castle of the Lady of the Lake). The medieval chronicler Wace visited the forest but left disappointed:
For those living close to Paimpont, the Arthurian legend is very strong. Many names in the legend can be translated into Breton or French, for example the name Lancelot translates as "wanderer" or "vagabond" in Breton. There is also a strong influence from the Druids, and all around Brittany are standing stones or alignments, the most famous of which are nearby at Carnac; a group of the alignments at Kerlescan are nicknamed "the soldiers of Arthur."
Stay in la Taverne Morgane, hang out a few days in Tréhorenteuc,
Morgane Taverne Le Bourg 56430 Tréhorenteuc Tél. : +33 (0) 2 97 93 07 09
Tourism Office
Tel : 02 97 93 05 12
www.valsansretour.com