Carnac & the Megaliths

Carnac on the south coast of Brittany is home to the largest collection of megaliths in the world — over 3,000 menhirs (upright stones), arranged in parallel rows over more than 4 km in length. Erected between 4,500 and 3,300 BC, that's over a thousand years before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. To this day, their exact purpose remains a mystery: astronomical observatory? Processional route? Calendar? No one knows for sure.

The three main sites:

Alignements du Ménec — 1,099 menhirs in 11 rows, the tallest up to 4 m high. At the western end, a stone circle (cromlech). The most impressive site, especially at sunrise or sunset, when the long shadows bring the stones to life.

Alignements de Kermario — 1,029 stones in 10 rows. From the observation tower at the northern edge, you can see the entire site — the best photography point.

Alignements de Kerlescan — the smallest but best-preserved site: 555 stones in 13 rows, with a stone circle of 39 menhirs. Freely accessible (the others are fenced off in summer).

The Maison des Mégalithes (visitor center) explains the sites with interactive displays, films, and a model of the prehistoric landscape. From here, guided tours of the fenced sites start (April–September, as the stone rows are closed in summer for protection). In winter (October–March), the sites are freely accessible.

Also worth seeing: the Tumulus de Kercado — a 5,000-year-old burial mound that you can enter (free). And the Musée de Préhistoire in Carnac-Ville with over 6,000 artifacts, including jewelry, tools, and reconstructed graves.

Maison des Mégalithes and guided tour: €7 (adults), €3 (children 7–17). Tours hourly 10 am–5 pm (summer), duration 1 hour. Musée de Préhistoire: €7, daily 10 am–12:30 pm and 2 pm–6 pm.