North eastern Brittany is is well known for its medieval heritage. Here a handful of towns have retained a quaint Middle Age charm, attracting visitors throughout the year. This part of France also has much older megalithic sites that should not be overlooked. Not least because one of these sites is one of the largest of its kind. Thomas, an archaeologist and founder of Archaeology Travel, recently spent a few days tracking down many megalithic sites and researched the associated urban legends and myths.
- Thomas Dowson
- Last Checked and/or Updated 25 August 2023
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- France Travel Ideas, Travel Reports
The Carnac area on the southern Brittany coast is well known for its concentration of some truly spectacular megalithic sites, from the Carnac standing stone alignments, the diverse megalithic arrangements at Locmariaquer and the passage tomb on the island of Gavrinis. Anyone looking at a map of the distribution of menhirs and megaliths in Brittany may be surprised to learn that there are similar concentrations of these prehistoric sites elsewhere in the region, not just around the Baie de Quiberon. One of these other concentrations can be found in north eastern Brittany, not far from Mont Saint-Michel and the various Medieval forts and castles in that area. When I did not live that far away from Brittany, I decided to take a midweek break to explore these megalithic sites and some of the Medieval castles. I was very lucky with the weather (just look at the blue sky in the photographs), but what I was thrilled to see was the final colours of autumn.
Megalithic Sites in North Eastern Brittany
One of the most spectacular sites is La Roche-aux-Fées, or the rock of the fairies – but more about them later. This particular megalithic monument is the largest dolmen structure in the World. Strictly speaking, this structure of over forty-one enormous stones from about five kilometres away is what archaeologists call a ‘covered alley’. The alley is created by a series of dolmens (two upright stones, holding a cap or table stone) arranged side by side to form a passage (hence these kinds of structures have also been termed passage tombs) or an alley. The passage here is twenty metres long, and at over four metres in height at the highest section, it is possible to walk upright inside it. Also, there is a large visitor’s centre (open during summer only) and a picnic area (where I had my lunch in glorious sunshine for December), which I am told has lots of useful information about other archaeological sites in the area.
And there are about five other menhir sites in the area – I managed to get to two of them on the same day as visiting La Roche-aux-Fées. On the outskirts of the town of Sel-de-Bretagne are two standing stones, that are officially known as ‘les menhirs du Champ de la Pierre et du Champ Horel du Sel-de-Bretagne.’ The two stones are very different in shape and colour; one is a greyish-red schist and the other white quartz. They were placed about fifty metres apart, on a slight rise that has a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. The menhirs have been fenced off from adjacent agricultural lands, and a bench as been provided for visitors to site and contemplate whatever it is one thinks about when looking at enigmatic standing stones like these.
There are also menhirs at the nearby towns of Theil-de-Bretagne, Janzé, Retiers and Saulnières. The two ‘menhirs’ at Saulnières are now on private property and therefore not accessible to the public. As they appear to be nothing more than fallen stones, visitors to the area would not be missing out if they missed this site and focussing on the others instead.
Menhirs & Local Legends
The two stones at Saulnières may be fallen (see the photograph), they are known as La Table-aux-Fées Saulnières. And the cluster of houses around them, a very small hamlet, goes by the same name. As with many other menhirs and megalithic sites around Europe, this little cluster of sites in north eastern Brittany are also explained by local folklore traditions associated with fairies. As I pointed out above, the site I mentioned first is called the ‘rock of the fairies’ because it was the fairies who are said to have brought the large stones from the nearby quarries and erected the structure. Folklore goes so far as to say that each fairy carried two stones, one under each arm.
After delivering stones to La Roche-aux-Fées the fairies would then return to their quarry where they would eat their meals and rest. But, so it is said, they did not have a table at the quarry and were forced to use the stones that are now called ‘La Table-aux-Fées’ at Saulnières. According to legend, the chairs were once present about five or six metres from the table but these have now disappeared. When the fairy collecting stones at Sel-de-Bretagne learned that they were no longer needed, she simply dropped them and they landed upright where we see them today.
Create Personal Itineraries & Travel Lists for Your Brittany Trip
You can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your Brittany visit. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the How to Use This Website page.
For more sites and museums in Brittany, see Art, Archaeology & History Sites & Museums in Brittany.
La Roche-aux-Fées
Forty-one enormous stones make up a passage, or covered alley, that is 20 metres in length, four times as long as it is wide. Most archaeologists ad enthusiasts alike accept that this is the largest such megalithic in the World. The dolmen is aligned inn such a way that it catches the rising sun at the winter solstice. The land around it is now a well kept parkland that has a Visitors Centre, which is only open during the summer months
La Table-aux-Fées de Saulnières
This dolmen is on gated and locked private property, and so it is inaccessible to the public. There is nothing much to see anyway, other than two very large stones, one of which is over two metres in length. As with all the other megaliths in the area, these two seemingly abandoned stones feature in local folklore and are thought to have been left by the fairies (fées) when they were taking stones from Saulnières to la Roche-aux-Fées.
Sel-de-Bretagne Menhirs
Two standing stones can be visited on the outskirts of the town of Sel-du-Bretagne, and are in a small field that has been fenced off that can be accessed via a footpath from the town square in the village. These two stones are known locally as les menhirs du Champ de la Pierre et du Champ Horel. According to local folklore these two striking stones were abandoned here by the fairies while they were making the nearby Roche-aux-Fées passage tomb.
Archaeology Travel Writer
