temperate forest A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is the second largest terrestrial biome, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers about 3 ...

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Ill-e-Vilaenn'', ) is a departments of France, department of France, located in the regions of France, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named a ...

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

Morbihan The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.Château de Comper and Château de Trécesson as well as the Forges of Paimpont, a national historical site. It has been associated with the forest of

Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...

and many locations from

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...

, including the , the tomb of Merlin, and the fountain of Barenton.

Geography and ecosystem

The forest is located in the northwestern French region of

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, about 30 km southwest of the city of

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

. It occupies mainly the territory of the commune of Paimpont but extends to bordering communes in the departments of

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Ill-e-Vilaenn'', ) is a departments of France, department of France, located in the regions of France, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named a ...

and

Morbihan The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...

, mainly Guer and Beignon in the south, Saint-Péran in the northeast, and Concoret in the north. The woodland surrounding Paimpont is the remains of a denser and much larger forest. It is mainly a broadleaved forest, mostly

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

s and

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

, with areas of

conifers Conifers () are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All e ...

either inside after clear-felling or on the periphery as a transition to

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...

, for example towards the west in the area of Tréhorenteuc and the . The relative altitude of the forested massif helps produce a climate close to the oceanic climate of the

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.Aff, then into the

Vilaine The Vilaine (; ) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''Département in France, département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is ...

, and on to the area around Redon in the south of Ille-et-Vilaine. The road from Forges to Concoret, which goes north through Paimpont, separates the western "high forest" (''haute forêt'') and the eastern "low forest", both of comparable size. In the high forest, the altitude decreases regularly from the highest point to 258 m, regularly offering views southwest towards the department of

Morbihan The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...

; similarly, to the north are views towards the commune of Mauron on the edge of

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.Breton, it was called Brec'Helean. It has been repeatedly logged for construction needs of the city of Rennes, in particular in the 15th century. Because of its importance, the forest was put under royal jurisdiction. The Forges of Paimpont were the most important wood-fueled

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...

s of Brittany, operating from the 16th century until the end of the 19th century. Their location was enabled by the proximity of an open-cast deposit of

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

at Gelée (a site near the village of Paimpont), the existence of a major river system, and the easy supply of locally produced charcoal. The forest was overexploited for the needs of the forges. During the French Revolution, the abolition of protection triggered massive clear-cutting of the forest as the wood was excessively exploited to power the blast furnaces of local industry, which employed

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

. In 1804, the prefect of the department wrote that the forest at Paimpont was in a state of degradation and threatened by complete destruction. In 1875, the forest was bought from

Prince Philippe, Count of Paris Prince Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris (Louis Philippe Albert; 24 August 1838 – 8 September 1894), was disputedly King of the French from 24 to 26 February 1848 as Louis Philippe II, although he was never officially proclaimed as such. ...

by shipowner and industrialist Louis Levesque, for rest and pleasure. The new owner created the Domaine de Paimpont and organized hunts of wild boars and deer. Exploitation of the forest by the local population was limited to be only under licenses and the supervision of private forest rangers. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the forest, deprived of most of its guards, was affected by major fires of unknown origin. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, paratroopers of the SAS of

Free France Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...

were dropped to join the partisans of the FFI in the forest with the mission of delaying German reinforcements as part of the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

in 1944. In the 1990s, a dam project on the Aff for the water supply of the Rennes region caused controversy and protests before being abandoned. The forest has experienced many fires since the start of the 20th century. In September 1990, a large wildfire devastated 450 hectares of the forest of Paimpont, especially the area of the Val sans retour, raging for five days. Afterward, from 1991 to 1992, thousands of volunteers planted more than a half-million new trees. Other major fires have occurred in 1955, 1984, 2003, and in particular in 1976, when a fire ravaged a thousand hectares. Another massive blaze (preceded by a lesser one started by a man illegally burning garden waste two months earlier) occurred during three days in August 2022 as part of the 2022 European wildfires, which completely destroyed nearly 400 hectares of woodlands and moors and damaged some 230 more.

Today

Forest management

The forest is an area of ZNIEFF and

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

. It is mostly privately owned by landowners who maintain and exploit it for timber and for hunting; only a small part in the northeast (10%) is state-owned and managed by the National Forest Office. This situation prevents free movement in the forest, even on the outskirts of the village and its lake. However, landowners have signed an agreement authorizing hiking, although some forest paths are closed during the hunting season. Forest guards watch for behaviors that threaten the forest and its flora and fauna.

Tourism and legends

The Paimpont forest benefits from its association, since the 13th century, with the legendary forest of

Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...

, which has become the site of many stories of

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...

in the French romance tradition. The identification with Brocéliande became institutionalized with the creation of the , which was itself regrouped within a supra-intercommunal structure named the . The area has been a tourist destination site since the 19th century, especially after 1945. Since 1951, followers of

Neo-Druidism Druidry, sometimes termed Druidism, is a modern spiritual or religious movement that promotes the cultivation of honorable relationships with the physical landscapes, flora, fauna, and diverse peoples of the world, as well as with nature de ...

also meet there periodically, including in organized ceremonies. The Paimpont sites are implemented through signs and pedestrian trails designed to introduce visitors to Arthurian locations, with explanatory panels linking each place to a legendary tale.

Locations and legends

Building sites

Abbey of Notre-Dame

The Abbey Notre-Dame de Paimpont is a tourist and cultural location at the edge of Lake Paimpont. It is built in medieval Gothic style (walls, openings, baptistery and the Blessed Sacrament chapel, vault) with an interior (pulpit, statues, altars, altarpieces) in the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style of the 17th century. The

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

was built in the 13th century on the site of a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

founded in 645 by Judicaël, king of

Domnonée Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; ), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica ( Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia ( Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britain in t ...

. It was originally a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery but was inhabited by canons from the 13th century until the Revolution, when the abbey was nationalized and sold as

biens nationaux The were Real property, properties confiscated during the French Revolution from the Catholic Church in France, Catholic Church, the list of French monarchs, monarchy, French emigration (1789–1815), émigrés, and suspected counter-revolutiona ...

in 1790.

Forges of Paimpont

This historical industrial site has been listed as a

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

since 2001, and was restored before it was opened to the public. Located in

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Ill-e-Vilaenn'', ) is a departments of France, department of France, located in the regions of France, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named a ...

, it is actually closer to Plélan-le-Grand than to Paimpont.

Château de Comper

The Château de Comper is a former castle and mansion located in northern part of the forest, two kilometers east of the village of Concoret. From the 13th century, Comper has been one of the strongest positions of Upper Brittany. The castle has been the scene of much fighting—including being badly damaged by fire in out-of-control riots in the forest during the Revolution in 1790—and has passed into the hands of several families. The mansion at the site now houses the exhibitions of the Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien (Center of the Arthurian Imagination). Adjoining it is a pond where, according to a local legend, the

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (, , , , ) is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantres ...

Viviane lived in her underwater crystal palace.

Château de Trécesson

Breizh 56 - Kempenieg - kastell tresaozon 04

Located outside the village and the forest, immediately in its extension to the southwest, this castle was rebuilt in its current state in the 15th century. The most famous of the legends associated with it is that of the (of "white lady" type), which, unusual for the region, has no Arthurian connections but instead seems to be inspired by a true story.

Biological station

The biological station of Paimpont, under the

University of Rennes The University of Rennes (French: ''Université de Rennes'') is a public university, public research university located in Rennes, Upper Brittany, France. Originally founded in 1460, the university was split into two universities in 1970: Univers ...

, was built in 1966–1967; its buildings accommodate about 70 people. The forest and its varied environments provide a framework for university biology courses as well as student and foreign researchers. Although the first researchers extensively studied moor ecology, soils, and hydrology, other works concern subjects far removed from the local biotope, such as the behavior of primates.

Megalithic sites

Hotié de Viviane

The Hotié de Viviane, also called the () or the (), it is a funeral circle of stones dating from about 4,500 ago. It is located near the Val sans retour and has been known under this name since 1843.

Tombeau de Merlin

In the northern part of the forest is the "Tomb of Merlin", a remnant of a

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

covered

dolmen A dolmen, () or portal tomb, is a type of single-chamber Megalith#Tombs, megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000 ...

structure. The site was largely destroyed with dynamite by treasure hunters after it became associated with the Arthurian figure of

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

in 1889. According to the legend, having seduced Merlin, Viviane imprisoned him in an invisible prison, and then locked him in a tomb: Merlin, having lain down in a pit, had two enormous stones cast down on him. Today, it is an important site of

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...

pilgrimages. Visitors to the site might leave flowers and a note to Merlin, often with a wish, or some kind of devotional object. The () is a water hole near the Tomb of Merlin. Also nearby there is an old tree known as the .

Tombeau du Géant

This

tumulus A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...

consists of four Neolitihic

menhir A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...

s originally erected some 5,000–4,500 years ago, each over four meters long and one meter wide. Three menhirs were reused in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

around 2,000–1,500 BC as a funerary vault; the fourth is on the ground about ten meters away. Formerly covered with a mound of earth, the site is by its impressive dimensions nicknamed "Tomb of a Giant". According to local tradition, it is the tomb of a giant defeated by the

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric order dedicated to ensuring the peace ...

. The Tombeau du Géant was reported as completely destroyed by the 2022 fire, but was in fact saved by firefighters, along with the first few rows of trees surrounding it.

Jardin aux Moines

The "Garden of Monks", located in

Néant-sur-Yvel Néant-sur-Yvel (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. The toponym refers to the river Yvel. Inhabitants of Néant-sur-Yvel are called in French ''Néantais''. See also *Communes of the Morbihan depa ...

, also called (), is a megalithic tumulus dating from 5,000 to 4,500 years ago. It is one of the many such mounds present in this region.

Natural sites

Val sans retour

The (), is the most famous tourist place of the forest, located near Tréhorenteuc, west of Paimpont. It is a steep valley dug deep in red shale, the color resulting from the

oxidation Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...

of the iron ore it contains. During the 19th century, there were two competing locations of the Vale in the forest, the other having been in the near the Tomb of Merlin and also including the initial location of the Tomb of Viviane. In 1896, Félix Bellamy decided that the was the place that inspired the anonymous 13th-century author to write the episode of the Vale in ''

Lancelot-Grail The ''Lancelot-Grail Cycle'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian legend, Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance originally writte ...

''. According to the French tradition of Arthurian legend, Queen

Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay (; Welsh language, Welsh and Cornish language, Cornish: Morgen; with ''le Fay'' being garbled French language, French ''la Fée'', thus meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morgant Mor ...

, half-sister of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

, betrayed by her lover, decided to keep all the unfaithful knights as prisoners in a vale of that name. Only

Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Matter of Britain, Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthu ...

, faithful to Queen

Guinevere Guinevere ( ; ; , ), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First mentioned in literature in the early 12th cen ...

, was able to break the spell, escape, and free the captive knights. High above the Vale, the () is the spot where Morgan le Fay is said to have turned her lover who betrayed her into stone. Another location is the (), a rock overlooking the valley. A lake that since the 1940s has been known as the () marks the entrance to the Vale. Nearby stands the (), a Catholic church featuring imagery of Morgan and other Arthurian characters associated with the Vale reimagined as Christian-themed scenes, painted by two German prisoner-of-war artists after WWII, as commissioned by eccentric local priest Father Henri Gillard.

Remarkable trees

The forest of Paimpont contains several special trees. One of them is the (the beech of the Ponthus), associated with the tale of ''Ponthus and Sidonia''. The most famous is an old oak about 1,000 years old and more than 9 meters in circumference: the (the oak of Guillotin), located between Concoret and Tréhorenteuc. According to a local legend, a refractory priest named Pierre-Paul Guillotin took refuge there during the French Revolution, continued to administer sacraments and blessings in the region, and wrote a valuable journal of revolutionary events.

Fontaine de Barenton

The Fountain of Barenton (also known as Berenton, Belenton, or Balenton) is located west of the forest, near the hamlet of Folle-Pensée, and is quite difficult to access. As quoted in medieval literature, and retained to this day, this fountain occasionally has rosaries of bubbles rise to its surface. The site first become associated with the legendary fountain of Brocéliande by Auguste Brizeux in 1836. A local custom made young men and women visit the fountain in search of marriage. It is here that

Ywain In Arthurian legend, Ywain , also known as Yvain and Owain among other spellings (''Ewaine'', ''Ivain'', ''Ivan'', ''Iwain'', ''Iwein'', ''Uwain'', ''Uwaine'', ''Ywan'', etc.), is a Knight of the Round Table. Tradition often portrays him as t ...

, as described by Chrétien de Troyes in '' Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'', challenged the

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with ...

, guardian of the fountain. According to a later legend, this is also where Merlin met Viviane, and the water of this fountain had the power to cure mental illnesses.

References in popular culture

* In

René Barjavel René Barjavel (24 January 1911 – 24 November 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeas ...

's 1984 Arthurian novel '' L'Enchanteur'', the stone hill above the is actually Morgan's castle which, cursed by the Devil (Merlin's father), "has become a rock, from the top of which we have a bird's eye view of the wild valley. Tourists come, Japanese, Germans especially, some French too. They do not suspect that under their feet still rages the sister of King Arthur, imprisoned in a huge rock." * The forest is the setting of the 2002 horror film ''

Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...

''. * The forest is mentioned by name and depicted in an early scene of

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

's 2010 action-adventure film

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

.

References

External links

Brocéliande , Brittany TourismTourist Office of Brocéliande, PaimpontBrocéliande.guide

Destination Brocéliande
(in French)
Encyclopédie de Brocéliande
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paimpont Forest Forests of France Geography of Brittany Geography of Ille-et-Vilaine Geography of Morbihan Locations associated with Arthurian legend Tourist attractions in Ille-et-Vilaine Tourist attractions in Morbihan Prince Philippe, Count of Paris