30 kilometres south-west of Rennes lies Morbihan's most emblematic forest: Paimpont forest. You may not have heard of it, yet this place has been steeped in legend for many centuries. Merlin, the fairy Viviane and the Knights of the Round Table are said to have roamed this land. You've guessed it, Paimpont forest is none other than the Brocéliande forest that appears in the stories of Chrétien de Troyes. Wander the forest in search of sites relating to famous figures like Merlin's tomb, the Fountain of Youth the Vale of No Return. For enquiring minds and experts, the Centre for the Arthurian Imaginary, based in Comper Castle in the village of Concoret, will tell you all about the life of King Arthur and his quest for the Grail.
Overlapping Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan, Paimpont forest is a remarkable natural area that happens to be the biggest forested massif in Brittany. Its great diversity of landscapes - moors, woodland with oaks and beeches, ponds - is home to a variety of wildlife. Stags, roe deer, wild boar and migratory birds all live there undisturbed. The forest also has megalithic sites like the Giant's Tomb or the Monteneuf Menhirs. You will also find one of the oldest chapels in Brittany, that of the Priory of St. Stephen of Guer, which is only open to visitors in the summer, and the 15th-century Trécesson Castle. Be sure take a detour to Paimpont village, where the 13th-century abbey church stands prettily by the pond.
