Plouarzel

THE MENHIR OF KERLOAS

The menhir of Kerloas is probably the tallest standing menhir in the world. At 9.5m (30 feet) it is a magnificent sight, and a couple of hundred years ago it was even taller, before the top two metres of stone were struck off by lightning.
It is thought to be between six and seven thousand years old, which would make it two millennia older than the pyramids, and nobody knows who put it there, or why, or how. The stone seems to have been brought from at least two and a half kilometres away and must have been dragged uphill from there!
The menhir is on the top of a ridge of land and is said to be visible from the city of Brest, thirty kilometres away.
The menhir has obviously been shaped. It is thin from one side, and very wide from another, tapering as it goes upwards. There is a hollow towards the top and two lumps at the bottom directly opposite each other.

Couples have traditionally gone there and rubbed themselves against the lumps. The men did so in hope of having a son, and the women in hope of becoming head of the house.

Directions: From Brest head west towards St Renan and from here find the road to Plouarzel. After a few km the menhir is signposted to the left. Follow the road for a couple of km to a parking space where a path leads to the menhir.