The Fountain of Youth

A place of Druid worship dedicated to eternal youth

If you’re rubbing your hands with glee at the thought of embarking on the path to eternal youth… you’ll need a little patience, nothing comes without a bit of hard work…

Not far from Merlin’s tomb, this modest fountain is said to have been quite majestic in the past, surrounded by very large stones. Apparently, this place was once used by druids as a place of worship. According to nineteenth-century scholars, the new-borns of each year were counted by druids during the summer solstice, washed in the fountain and their name inscribed on the register, the marith. These fountains were called “Jaouanc”, “youth” in the Celtic language. Parents unable to bring their child in the year of his or her birth could register him or her the following year; the child was then considered to be a new-born and was thus a year younger! Such is the tale of the fountain of Youth and its so-called rejuvenating power…

But after all, why not give it a try?
For eternal youth, you will need to follow these steps:

Show up at midnight on the day of summer solstice, barefoot.
Drink a bowl full of pure water (from the fountain, not from your own bottle…).
You must have behaved perfectly throughout your entire life.

Quite simple, isn’t it?
Depending on your level of perfection, you will become a few seconds, minutes or hours younger, or for those luckiest ones, a few years’…

ACCESS

The site in accessible throughout the year except on certain days during the hunting season (From 12 September to 31 March). (see calendar days of hunting in the state-owned part).
Location: North of the Paimpont state forest, towards Saint-Malon-sur-Mel

Accessibility

The site is not accessible to persons with reduced mobility.
Baby carriers can be rented from the Tourist Office (7€ for a day or half-day). Bookings can be made through the Tourist Office.

Click here to download the map of legendary sites and trails