“The name Carnac comes from the Celtic word Karn, which means stone or rock, also found in the word Cairn, used to describe a stone tumulus.” BrittanyTourism.com

On the southwestern edge of Brittany, which juts way out into the Atlantic Ocean off of France, is a town known as Carnac. And in that town are over 3,000 standing stones of man-made origins. They are known as Neolithic menhirs and Carnac has one of the most extensive and dense collection of them in the world. There are also stone tombs (dolmens) and burial mounds! Most of them have been dated to between 4500 to 3300 BC. That’s over 6,000 years ago! They are all truly a sight to behold. One of my favorite legends is that they were a Roman Legion that were turned to stone by Merlin. The people of Brittany also have Arthurian Legend! Debate still swirls if these were built by our ancestors, the Early European Farmers, or the people they conquered and wiped out, the Mesolithic Hunter-gatherers of the region.

One of the coolest Carnac Stones is this one that has been dubbed the Manio giant. It once stood guard over a nearby burial mound.

Carnac is absolutely worth a visit when you’re in Brittany.