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carnac france

1 of the 5 monuments seen from space: Carnac France

Carnac France: mini travel guide to a magical, mystical and unknowable place in French Brittany.


What to know before visiting Carnac in France?

Carnac France, in French Brittany.

Carnac is an important town in the Quiberon region and bay for its weekly market, for its fine summer sandy beaches and for its thousands of megaliths and prehistoric monuments. 

Karn means stone or rock. So in its own name it indicates the great element for which it stands out as an international tourist population.

Carnac in France say it is one of the sunniest cities in French Brittany. 2000 hours of sunshine per year say they shine there! 

Ohh my God! I don't believe it ... or we just went in the worst hours of the year hahaha

Here we leave you this mini guide with the 5 essential things to know to travel and discover Carnac France.

1 Carnac meniheres. Almost 3.000 menhirs and dolmens seen from space

A visit to the almost 3.000 Neolithic menhirs (it is believed that they were 6.000 originally) of almost 6.000 years old on 1 kilometer long moors is essential. Menhirs lined up in slightly curved rows to the northeast, and arranged from largest to smallest.

Imagine the impressiveness of the place, which is the largest prehistoric monument in the world. 

There are only 3 monuments that can be seen from space and one is Carnac. The other two Nazca and the Great Wall of China. Surprising, right? 

carnac france

2 Carnac to see. 1 place, 4 different areas of menhirs in a triangular shape

as each other. And the 4 zones form a perfect Pythagorean triangle: Menec (1000 megaliths) the most important zone, Kerlascan, Kermario and Petit Menec. Curious isn't it? 

carnac france, menhirs and dolmenes

 3 Theories, legends and unknowns about Carnac France

The utility of these megalithic alignments is still unknown with complete accuracy today. 

There are multiple theories. 

The most widespread is that it was a great necropolis and a center of worship. A place that separated the world of the dead from that of the living. 

Although there are other theories about its usefulness. For a time its utility was believed to be astronomical, as a calendar for Neolithic agriculture. 

But if anything abounds in Carnac France, it is the legends around it. They say that every night the stones move to the sea to bathe, that in fact the stones are petrified Roman soldiers, that the stones have healing, fertility properties and even attract love.

What explanation are you left with?

4 Carnac dolmen, burial mounds, megaliths and other prehistoric monuments of Carnac France

Alongside these impressive alignments of menhirs and dolmens are other not-so-well-known, but impressive, prehistoric monuments. In the first place, we must highlight the St-Michel tumulus and secondly, the giant of Mario, a menhir of 6,5 meters.

The Carnac Museum of Prehistory lets you know more about all these monuments if they are of interest to you.

We also recommend the view of Quiberon Bay from the Saint Michel chapel and Saint Michel burial mound. Do not miss it.

 5 How to visit Carnac France: the interpretation center

To visit Carnac's menhirs and dolmens, it is best to walk around it. 

Today most of the 4 areas are fenced to protect them, but you can walk around them without problem and without costing you a Euro. In the Ménec area you will even see how among the menhirs there are sheep grazing, something curious that the kids loved. 

Anyway, if you want an in-depth visit in front of Ménec Grande, there is an interpretation center, the Casa de los Megalitos.

Here is the free parking for cars and with a reserved area for motorhomes (with few spaces). 

The Carnac megalith house is a good starting point for the visit. Guided tours for € 9 and children under € 7 free, in addition to visiting their exhibitions where they explain the curiosities of the place and the prehistoric era of the Neolithic.

carnac france, menhirs and dolmenes

 

Photos from Carnac France during our trip

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We write in this blog for love of travel and writing. With the sole objective of preserving our experiences and helping you plan your trips. For this reason, whether this post has served you or not, we appreciate your contributions and comments to improve it.
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A family traveling by motorhome
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1 of the 5 monuments seen from space: Carnac France
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1 of the 5 monuments seen from space: Carnac France
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1 of the 5 monuments seen from space: Carnac France
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This entry has 2 comments

  1. Ruben

    None of the monuments you comment on are seen from space. They are urban legends. Otherwise, very good article.

    1. Pilar Avila

      Thank you Rubén for your contribution. Maybe it's true, I haven't been in space. What I can tell you is that there are official French tourism pages that confirm this, with or without truth, and are the source of this article, added to our own experience on the spot. Maybe one day we can find out for ourselves! In any case 4000 points of megaliths, it could be that something is seen from afar, hopefully one day I can travel to space and make sure 🙂

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