It is a magical place nestled in the heart of the Breton countryside. In Maen Roch more precisely (Ille-et-Vilaine), between Rennes and Le Mont-Saint-Michel. Magic already by the splendor of the building, built at the end of the 16th century by Gilles Ruellan and classified as a Historic Monument. But also magic by its powers. Because since 2022, the castle Le Rocher Portal houses a somewhat special school where magic and witchcraft are taught.
We are of course close to the universe ofHarry Potter but The New School of Sorcerers defends its singularity. “I didn’t want it to be a pale copy of the saga, underlines Manuel Roussel, the owner of the castle. So we decided to write our own story which also takes place in a real setting. “After a first session on All Saints’ Day which attracted 13,000 sorcerer’s apprentices, the “Breton Hogwarts” has just reopened its doors for the summer season with an immersive experience offered until July 22.
Plant labyrinths and teachers’ rooms
The basic recipe does not change with a large banquet organized in the evening during which a troop of teachers teaches the guests a whole bunch of spells and magic tricks. Divided into each of the four families, visitors then dive into the bowels of the castle to discover the classrooms and the teachers’ rooms.
During the day, you can also venture into the lush gardens and plant labyrinths of the castle. With new features this year, access to the forbidden forest, to the hut of Ernote, the school caretaker, and “the Millendall competition”, a sort of tournament with sporting challenges. Two other sessions will also be offered during the Toussait holidays and during the Christmas period.