Carnac Alignments & Maison des Mégalithes

The Carnac alignments are one of the great prehistoric sites of Europe: around 3,000 granite menhirs set in long, parallel rows across heath and farmland, raised by Neolithic communities more than 6,000 years ago. Nobody knows exactly why, which is part of the fascination. Start at the Maison des Mégalithes beside the Ménec alignment, where you can see a short introduction and join a guided tour (€13 adults) that takes you in among the stones. Otherwise, the footpaths around the fenced fields are free year-round, and you can walk or cycle east along the Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan rows in about an hour. Carnac is 40 km from Lorient, so give yourself a full day: take the train to Auray and a BreizhGo bus on to Carnac, or book a taxi and agree the return time with the driver.