Arthurian myths, legends and fabled forests
08 July 2019
The legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have thrilled generations of Britons over the years and are likely to continue to do so long into the future. Whilst feted in the UK, King Arthur is equally celebrated in Brittany with some Arthurian adventures taking place not in La Grande Bretagne (Britain) but in what was, in the Middle Ages, known as la Petite Bretagne - modern Brittany.
King Arthur you see is claimed by both the English and the French with Geoffrey of Monmouth writing in 1135 that Arthur was king of the British Isles and of France and wanted to be an emperor. So what can you see in Brittany today?
Credit: Emmanuel Berthier
Brittany and King Arthur
About 18 miles (30km) west of Rennes lies the Forest of Paimpont, all that remains of the vast forest that covered ancient inland Brittany aka Argoat. Legend has it that the 25 square miles (40km2) of woodland is also the location of mythical Brocéliande, the forest of King Arthur and home to the Knights of the Round Table.
Credits from top left clockwise: Donatienne Guillaudeau / Yvon Boëlle / Emmanuel Berthier / Yannick Derennes / Donatienne Guillaudeau / Donatienne Guillaudeau
Brocéliande is a wonderful location for walkers who enjoy half-shaded trails and woodland-scented pathways. There are almost 200 signposted routes across the forest, all accessible on foot but also open to cyclists and riders. The GR© 37 long-distance footpath passes through this part of the forest and makes an outstanding walk. On this route into legend you’ll follow sunken footpaths, forest trails and even a towpath. The landscape is mainly flat, so it’s ideal for a family walk.
Credit: Emmanuel Berthier
There’s a fairy tale castle - the turreted Château de Camper near Concoret which houses the Centre de l’Imaginaire Arthurian for all things legend and close by, there’s a lake underneath whose waters the fairy Viviane is said to live in a crystal palace built by the magician Merlin.
Some say Merlin was imprisioned by Viviane in a stone about a mile west of Concoret on the Arthurian trail map. Next to it is the Fontaine de Barenton, the fountain from where it is said rain can be summoned if you throw some of its water onto the slab in front of it. Visitors with a pure heart may find the Fountain of Eternal Youth which is hidden nearby.
Southwest of here near Tréhorenteuc is the ominously named Val Sans Retour (valley of no return). It is here that the sorceress Morgan le Fay, half-sister of King Arthur, is said to have imprisoned unfaithful youths. High above the valley, the Rocher des Faux Amants (rock of false lovers) is the spot where she is said to have enticed her victims.
Paimpont itself is an attractive little place, with a main street of stone cottages, and a good base to explore the area. It is best known for its 13th-century lakeside abbey, which as well as ancient books and religious silverware, holds summer exhibitions and concerts. Also worth a look are the 17th to 20th-century forges speaking to Paimpont’s industrial heritage.
Credit: From top left clockwise: Isabelle Kurschner/Crtb / Donatienne Guillaudeau / Yannick Derennes / Emmanuel Berthier / Yvon Boëlle / Emmanuel Berthier
South of Paimpont is one of Brittany’s most important megalithic sites, Monteneuf, which dates back to 5000BC.
A turreted medieval castle in nearby Josselin
View of the castle from the bell tower of the basilica of Josselin (August 2016)
These are just a few feature ideas from Brittany Tourism. Go to the Brittany website to download the 2019 press kit and to register for their photo-library
Credits from left: Via Brittany Tourism - Alexandre Lamoureux / Yannick Le Gal / Alexandre Lamoureux / Marc Le Rouge
Notes To Editors:
Brittany, France’s most north-westerly region, lies just a short distance across the Channel and is one of France’s most popular tourist destinations, with over 700 miles of rugged coastline, sandy beaches, bays and inlets.
Enjoying strong cultural and historical links with Great Britain, further inland, there’s beautiful countryside, historic medieval towns and charming little villages to be discovered and explored. At Morbihan, there’s also the world’s largest concentration of megalithic sites all in one place. Access is easy via the car and the ferry or by plane and the train. Find out more at www.brittanytourism.com.
Five things you might not know about Brittany:
- It has over 700 miles of rugged coastline, sandy beaches, bays and inlets and is France’s largest peninsula.
- Breton is a Celtic language derived from the historical common Brittonic language and is closely related to Cornish and Welsh.
- Brittany features the world’s largest concentration of megalithic sites all in one place.
- The region enjoys a large quantity of medieval buildings including numerous Romanesque and French Gothic churches and half-timbered houses. Many towns still have their medieval walls.
- The fictional Asterix comics, set in the time of Julius Caesar, are located in Armorica, now Brittany