Paimpont village and the abbey are in a lovely setting on a lake and surrounded by the forest of Brocéliande.

The Abbey is a lovely roman style building dating from the 13th century, although built on the site of a benedictine monastery that had already existed here for several centuries. Next to the abbey is a small square surrounded by attractive buildings in the local granite stone and in wood. A commercial street leads from here with a couple of restaurants and a few shops.

The Door of Secrets. Do buy a ticket as this is worth seeing. Here you will learn about all the mysterious facets of the forest of Broceliande

Paimpont forges Just downstream from the lake there is a forge, that developed using local iron ore and wood from the surrounding forests and for several hundred years was the most important industry in Paimpont.

Brocéliande Forest (Le Forêt de Paimpont) is a very large area. Here you can discover:

Merlins tomb: One legend has it that he was put under a spell and imprisoned in a tree,  by Vivien. In the Brocéliande forest, supposedly Merlin is buried in this tomb.

The Fountain of Youth: Located near Merlin’s tomb and folklore mentions the magical powers of the waters. It is a fountain of youth only on summer solstice, at midnight, and some other secret conditions established by druids.

The Valley Without Return: Legend has it that a spell was put on this valley by the sister of King Arthur who was betrayed by her lover. Any unfaithful lovers in the area would be imprisoned in the valley.

L’arbre d’Or (at the entrance to Le Val Sans Retour): Quite the sight to see a gold tree in the forest.  After a major forest fire in 1990 which destroyed 400 hectares, this sculpture was commissioned and 500,000 trees were planted to symbolize the renewal of the forest.

Miroir aux Fées (Legend of the Fairies):  Legend has it that fairies chose to hide out from humans in this body of water. They would only come out at night to admire their reflection.

The Centre of the Imaginary Arthur, which is set in the Château de Comper.  It provides more insight into various legends related to King Arthur.

The Arthurian Centre: A ticket gives you access to Comper Castle, a permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, the castel grounds andVivien’s lake ( a sensitive nature area). Plus many other activities. Visit the website for updates.