Carnac Travel Guide
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486km (302 miles) W of Paris, 37km (23 miles) SE of Lorient, 100km (62 miles) SE of Quimper
Aside from being a seaside resort, Carnac is home to the hundreds of huge stones in the Field of Megaliths. These date from Neolithic times. Many are set up in parallel rows. Scholars have debated their purpose for centuries, although most suggest they had astronomical or religious significance to the people of the area. One theory is that some of the stones marked burial sites. In all, the town contains 2,732 menhirs (monumental stones), some of them rising to heights of 20m (60 ft.). They stand in 11 more or less straight lines in at least three separate fields.
The park in which the monoliths stand is open in July and August daily from 9am to 8pm; May and June daily from 9am to 7pm; September to April daily 10am to 5pm. From September through June, admission is free. In the busy months of July and August, the park is open for guided tours only, restricted to groups of 25 at a time. The 90-minute tours are offered by the on-site visitor center and cost 4€ ($4.60), free for children under 13. Before heading here, call tel. 02-97-52-89-99 to find out when group visits are scheduled and if the quota of visitors has been filled.
At Carnac Ville, Musée de Préhistoire, 10 place de la Chapelle (tel. 02-97-52-22-04), displays collections from 450,000 B.C. to the 8th century. Admission is 5€ ($5.75) for adults, 2.50€ ($2.90) for children 10 to 18, free for children under 10. The museum is open June through September Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm; October through May Wednesday to Sunday 10am to noon and 2 to 5pm.
Even if Carnac didn't possess these monuments, its pine-studded sand dunes would be worth the trip. Protected by the Quiberon Peninsula, Carnac-Plage is a family resort beside the ocean and along the waterfront boulevard de la Plage. And in May and June, the fields -- especially around the megaliths -- are resplendent with golden broom.
The center of Carnac is about .75km (a half mile) from the sea. From the main square, rue du Tumulus leads north from the center of town to the Tumulus St-Michel, a Celtic burial chamber 1.2km ( 3/4 mile) from the center.
