September 6-14, 2024
Arrive in Nantes airport. Travel by bus and settle in to our Erdeven residence, which will be our home base for the entire adventure. In the evening we will have a brief talk about what the trip holds in store. Résidence Safran Vacances, Erdeven.
So as not to be too ambitious on our first day out, we make our first visit to the nearby Carnac locale to see several sites. Among them is the Tumulus St. Michel, the largest grave mound in continental Europe. Not far away we’ll see a rare dolmen still covered by its original earthen cairn, the Tumulus de Kercado, and a unique ensemble of three dolmens called the Dolmens of Mané Kerionned. Along the way is an alignment of six menhirs, the Alignement du Vieux Moulin, which might actually be a remnant of an ancient tomb.
On this day we venture farther afield to a series of sites to the east, beginning with Menhirs Babouin et Babouine, a pair of menhirs with strangely carved faces, deep in a forest. Then we move on to the Menhirs of Monteneuf, which has over 400 stones, among them 42 standing menhirs, on the edge of the Brocéliande forest. Our last stop of the day will be La Roche-aux-Fées (Rock of the Fairies), named for a legend that claims that the stones were placed by fairies, and one of the most famous and largest Neolithic dolmens in Brittany. From there, we head back to our home base.
Our driving time today will be much shorter, because our destination is the Locmariaquer megaliths, a complex of remarkable Neolithic features located close to one another east of Carnac and near the mouth of the Gulf of Morbihan. These notably include the Broken Menhir of Er Grah, the largest stone block known to have been erected by Neolithic people. Now fallen and broken into four pieces, this menhir had an estimated weight of 330 tons and a length of nearly 21 meters. Nearby we will see another 18 menhirs as well as the impressive Er-Grah tumulus passage grave, 140 meters long. Also in the vicinity is the Table de Marchands, a large dolmen containing a number of interesting decorations.
Our longest drive of the tour happens today, as we venture to the north coast of Brittany to explore the Cairn of Barnanez, one of the earliest megalithic monuments in Europe and one of the oldest human-made structures in the world, constructed around 4800 BC. The cairn contains 11 separate chambers, several with engraved symbols, accessed by separate passageways. The drive back to home base includes a stop at the picturesque Medieval village of Locronan, considered to be among “the most beautiful villages of France.”
On this day we focus on the nearby and very famous Carnac locale one more time, visiting a series of sites rather close to each other. This cluster includes the largest collection of standing stones of this kind anywhere in the world. The two main sites (Ménec and Kermario) alone account for nearly 3,000 menhirs, most arranged in rows, and the alignments extend over almost four miles. Other nearby sites notable for their standing-stone alignments and on our agenda are Toulchignan, Kerlescan (including a stone circle), and Petit Menec. We will also see the distinctly different feature of Manio, the focus of which is a massive menhir knows as the “Giant,” over 6.5 m (21 ft) high, standing within a stone-bordered quadrilateral.
Our destination today is the Gulf of Morbihan, and part of our time will be spent on the water. A centerpoint of this day’s adventure will be the spectacular Gavrinis Passage Grave, on an island near the mouth of the Gulf. This feature stands out for its wonderfully rich internal decorations and excellent preservation. Nearby, we will also explore, not on foot but from our boat, the two stone circles on the islet of Er Lannic, one of which is completely submerged due to ancient sea level rise and the other is half submerged at high tide. Finally, we will drive around the Gulf to see the Petit Mont Chambered Tomb, on the very tip of the Rhuys Peninsula. The decorations on the stones of the passage and the chamber of this complex, multi-phase monument must not be missed, so of course we will see them!
On this day we don’t drive much at all, because we explore the area around our base at Erdeven, examining some of the many dolmens and alignments in the vicinity. Dolmen de Crucuno, Dolmen Mané Croc’h, and Dolmen Mané Bras all have multiple chambers. The alignments are at Kerbernes and Kerzerho. The latter once had 1100 standing menhirs, of which nearly 200 remain, standing in a dozen rows.
Saying our Goodbyes. Transfers by bus to the Nantes airport.
An Educational Tour Designed for ALI and Led by Standing With Stones Filmmakers Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin!
Concentrating on the exceptionally dense array of ancient stone alignments, dolmens, menhirs, and tumuli in Brittany, the traditional homeland of the Breton people, this 9-day adventure traverses a hilly, windswept region with a rugged coastline and picturesque Medieval villages.
Our journey begins in Nantes, Brittany’s largest city, where we arrive, spend one night and then set off to explore the region’s remarkable Neolithic past. After a first night’s sleep, we head northwestward to the Carnac vicinity to see several remarkable sites, including the Tumulus St. Michel, the largest grave mound in continental Europe. By the end of the day, we will settle into our home base near Erdeven, from which we will venture out on each day of this adventure.
Each following day has a different theme and route, beginning on Day 3 with a foray to the east to a forested area that shelters an array of diverse sites, including sculpted faces, a large cluster of menhirs, and one of the most famous and largest dolmens in Brittany. By contrast, Day 4 involves rather little driving, but brings us to the largest menhir in the world, a huge tumulus passage grave, and a large decorated dolmen.
The longest drive of the tour happens on Day 5, when we visit the north coast of Brittany and the spectacular Cairn of Barnanez, one of the earliest megalithic monuments in Europe (4800 BC) and one of the oldest human-made structures in the world. On the drive back, we enjoy a stop at the picturesque Medieval village of Locronan.
On the next day, we are back to the nearby Carnac locale to see literally thousands of standing and aligned menhirs and the unique feature of Manio, with its quadrilateral arrangement and huge standing menhir. Then, on Day 7, we explore the Gulf of Morbihan, even on the water as we take a short boat trip to see the spectacular Gavrinis Passage Grave, on an island near the mouth of the Gulf, with its elaborate and well preserved interior decorations. While on the boat, we observe two stone circles at another small island, one of which is submerged as a consequence of ancient sea level rise. We end the day at another well decorated passage grave, the Petit Mont Chambered Tomb.
For our final day of exploration, Day 8, we stay close to our home base to see some of the many dolmens and menhirs in the vicinity.
Total Price: $4900 per person (double occupancy). Add $160 for the tour if you are traveling as a single.
Registration fee: $1500 to ALI. This amount is included in the total price above. Spots are limited, so register today!
Included costs: All lodging, meals, private ground transportation, all entry fees, tour guides (Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin).
Costs not included: alcoholic beverages, gratuities for service providers (guides, waiters, drivers, maids), personal travel insurance, and airfare to and from France.
Dates: September 6 - 14, 2024
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