Carnac Rows of Prehistoric Stones
Unique Megalithic Alignments Stretch Several Miles in Brittany
Walk back through thousands of years of history among the remarkable rows of thousands of stones raised in prehistoric times in this attractive part of France.
Carnac is famous for the rows upon rows of prehistoric stones stretching over several miles. The region is a megalithic paradise and features many more prehistoric monuments dotted around the area, and is a fascinating introduction to European prehistory for all ages.
Megalithic Alignments – Rows of Standing Stones
Nothing can really prepare you for the sight – photographs simply don’t give the impression of the scale and extent of the megalithic alignments which stretch as far as the eye can see. Although most of the stones are now standing, much of what you see is the result of the painstaking reconstruction work done by the Scottish antiquarian James Miln, who hired the services of a local boy, Zacharie Le Rouzic. Miln died in 1881, leaving the results of his work to the town of Carnac, but clearly inspired Le Rouzic, who painstakaingly re-erected many of the standing stones you see, setting them as accurately as possible, and marking those he had to reset with a small plug of pink cement in the base of the stone so future researchers would be able to tell they had been reinstated.
Touring the Stones
If you are going to drive down the road passing the alignments to see the stones, it is worth starting at Kerlescan and driving toward Le Menec. (see route on Google Maps) This way the alignments are on the nearside (right hand side) of the car, and turning into the various car parks overlooking the alignments is an easy right-hand turn rather than an awkward left-hand turn, particularly at the blind bend at Kermario. Family groups can take a more leisurely pace by renting a two-by-two bike at Carnac-Plage and pedalling down the alignments along the same route.
Although in the 1990s you could wander freely among the stones, they are now fenced off in the high season to try and control erosion. Try Kerzerho for less visited rows for the experience of actually walking between the stones.
Museum of Prehistory
The Carnac Museum of Prehistory in Carnac-Ville is well worth visiting, as it hosts a lot of the finds excavated by Miln and Rouzic. English speakers will find it worth borrowing the folder with English translations of the exhibit captions).
Not just Prehistory
There is more than ancient history on offer – Carnac has two centres serving different visitor interests. Carnac-Ville is near to the stones and has the administrative centre, and Carnac-Plage has a lively nightlife and sporting facilites, as well as a fine sandy beach. Carnac-Plage is a spa, and a local speciality is Thalassotherapy, where you are immersed in heated Atlantic seawater, reputed to have special health properties.
Nearby Attractions
The Quiberon peninsula has more megalithic sites and windsurfing and watersports facilities, as well as an aerodrome where you can sometimes hire a flight over the rows of stones.
Megalithic sites abound nearby – Le Grand Menhir Brise in Locmariaquer is a stupendous size, though fallen, and Les Pierres Plats has remarkable carvings (you will need a torch to see them). More alignments are to be found at Kerzerho
If you are coming by ferry from the UK you may want to consider the forest of Broceliande on the way down.
References
Megalithic Brittany, Aubrey Burl, Thames & Hudson 1985
