Brittany, with its jagged coastline thrusting defiantly into the Atlantic has always been geographically and culturally isolated from the rest of France. This, the westernmost province of France is a land of Arthurian myths and legends, of deep-rooted traditions, of ancient burial chambers and stone circles. Clusters of standing stones can be found all over this corner of France, but the most dramatic are the alignments at Carnac, on the Gulf of Morbihan. The more than 3000 stones here constitute one of the most extensive and important archaeological sites in the world.

     The small village of Carnac is one of a string of seaside resorts on this part of the coast. If it weren’t for the famous stones on its doorstep, Carnac would be another peaceful and traditional Breton village, complete with its lovely 13th century church and a handful of souvenir shops and cafes. Old women still come into town on market day, dressed in the traditional Breton headgear of black; pedestrians and motorists regularly battle for space in the narrow streets of the town.

Standing Stones

          But drive a mile or two out of town and you will suddenly come upon ranks and ranks of tall standing stones, or menhirs, as they are officially known. They almost look as if they have just appeared there overnight – they march across farmers fields, past small stone cottages, across the main road, and through several area campgrounds. There are several different areas of stones, spread out over several square miles around the town of Carnac and the surrounding countryside. The stones are hewn from the local granite and some of them are as much as 12 feet high and weigh up to 20 tons. Today, the stones appear with rough edges, but there is evidence that they were skillfully cut with perfectly straight lines and angles. One of the largest stones has been mysteriously and dramatically split open – by a thunderbolt, as locals like to tell you.