If you are visiting the area and want to get a basic historical and geological overview of the stones, a good place to start is the visitors’ center, just outside the town of Carnac. The center offers an excellent introduction to the various sites, a large scale model depicting every stone and - naturally - souvenirs in the form of miniature menhir paperweights. From the observation deck outside the visitors’ center, you can get an excellent view of one of the most extensive and dramatic groupings of the stones, known as the Menec alignment. This alignment, which lies alongside the winding narrow road from Carnac to Auray, near the village of Kerlesken, is perhaps the most photographed in the area. Another popular way of seeing the stones – especially for families – is from a seat on the ‘train’ that runs along the same road, during the summer.
The visitors’ center offers regular guided tours, whereby you can get a closer look at the stones and learn more about their purpose; they also allow visitors to wander freely among the stones during the quieter winter months. At one time, visitors could wander through the stones year round, but erosion and vandalism have meant the need to keep people at a distance for most of the year.
Burial Chambers
Apart from the main ranks of the stones, there are also many ancient burial chambers, or dolmen, hidden away in the region. Many of these are on private property, or so overgrown that only the locals know exactly where they are. Some of these are dramatic in their construction, such as the dolmen near the tiny village of Crucno, which consists of 9 standing stones supporting a huge flat stone of over 40 tons. In the 19th century, the monument must have looked even more impressive as it also boasted an ‘avenue’ of huge upright stones. Unfortunately, these stones have been used over the years by the local people to construct their houses.
One of the most enchanting places, especially for children, is a line of moss-covered stones that meanders through the forest at Petit Menec, between Auray and la Trinite. Some of these stones were purloined and used in the construction of a nearby lighthouse in the 19th century, although local outcry prevented all the stones from being removed. It does not take too much imagination to conjure up visions of fairies cavorting around the stones.