Carnac Alignments

Seeing the Carnac Alignments was definitely on our itinerary for this trip. Everyone has their "must-see" – and megalithic monuments and dolmens have always interested us. The Carnac alignments are from the same era as the Stonehenge in England about 3000 BC. 

While the larger fields of alignments are in protected fields there are many throughout the entire region – some standing as tall and alone as sentries in fields that we passed, some in small low groups along the roadside. We didn’t know if at the time but the big fields including Le Menec and Kermario alignments close to the Visitor Centre are closed during the summer until the end of September in order to maintain the natural grasses and vegetation. 

But we got our first view of the menhirs, as they are called in Breton, along the roadside.  We pulled into a gravel parking lot with signs to be careful about leaving valuables in the car and walked through the fields.  There were so many and we made so many stops that we were actually a little disappointed when we got to Carnac – somehow we thought that the Alignments there would be bigger or more amazing.  They were all incredible, wherever we found them.

The Visitors Center presented the history of the alignments and the evolution of mankind from the Paloelithic ear to the Middle Ages and had an interesting film and diorama on the sites. Well worth our time.