Paimpont Abbey and Pond

What it is

Paimpont is the village at the centre of the Brocéliande forest, and its abbey, on the edge of the pond, is its heart. Almost any visit to the forest starts here: you have the tourist office, the car park, places to eat and sleep, and the Porte des Secrets trail, which explains the legends before you set out to look for them. The walk around the village, the abbey and the pond shore is flat and short.

The abbey

Tradition places its foundation around the year 630: a priory dedicated to Our Lady, built by the Breton king Judicaël and his friend Méen. Norman invasions destroyed it in the 9th century. In 1192 the prior Tual turned it into an abbey of Augustinian canons, and in 1199 work began on the Gothic church you see today. In the 15th century Abbot Olivier Guiho gave it stone vaults, and in the 17th the Grand Logis and the abbot's house were rebuilt. With the Revolution, in 1790, it was sold as national property and the canons left.

The former abbey church is now the parish church of Notre-Dame, a listed historic monument since 1966. Inside, look out for:

• The Gothic nave, with its original vaults.
• The ivory Christ from the 17th century.
• The treasury, in the sacristy: gold and silver liturgical objects and old books from the 15th century to today, with a reliquary in the shape of the arm of Saint Judicaël from the 15th century, a silver chalice and a censer from the 17th, and a 15th-century fresco in the room.

The Grand Logis now houses the town hall. To the north of the pond, the parish garden is a wooded park with a grotto of the Virgin and a fountain beside the statue of Saint Judicaël.

The Porte des Secrets

In the abbey building, the Brocéliande tourist office runs a staged trail of about 50 minutes about the forest and its legends, with departures every 20 minutes and audio guides in four languages. It is open all year, with hours depending on the season, and is recommended from age 5. It is accessible without steps, with a lift, and does not admit animals. Tickets are bought online on the office's booking site; in summer, it is best to book two days ahead. From 19 September to 30 November 2026 there is also a free exhibition, "Entre corbeau et loup".

Hours and price

Strolling around the village, the pond and the outside of the abbey is free. The church is a parish church; for the treasury's hours, ask at the tourist office, at 1 place du Roi Saint-Judicaël (02 99 07 84 23). Outside school holidays the office is open Wednesday to Sunday from October to March and every day from April to June and in September, from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00; in July, from 9:30 to 19:00, and in August, until 20:00. It is closed on 25 and 31 December and on 1 January.

Getting there

Paimpont is about 43 km from Rennes, about 45 minutes by car. Park in the village and do the rest on foot. From here, the Château de Comper is about 6 km away, the Barenton spring about 11 km and the Val sans Retour, in Tréhorenteuc, about 13 km.

How long

An hour for the village, the abbey and the pond shore. With the Porte des Secrets, allow another hour.

With children and accessibility

The walk is flat and can be done with a pushchair. The Porte des Secrets is wheelchair accessible and works well with children from age 5, before heading into the forest.

Eating and sleeping

On the edge of the pond is the Crêperie La Fée Gourmande, and next to the abbey, the hotel and restaurant Le Relais de Brocéliande. For tight budgets, the municipal campsite, a short walk from the village.