Heritage Days and Mégalithes en fête 2026

Celebrations and events

      • European Heritage Days take place on 19 and 20 September 2026 across the Morbihan, on the same weekend as the second Mégalithes en fête, held on Saturday 19 September in Carnac.

        Camping de la Baie, in La Trinité-sur-Mer, stays open until Sunday 20 September: this is the last weekend of the season.

        The Maison des Mégalithes, the gateway to the Carnac alignments, is 7 km from the campsite, a 25-minute cycle ride.

        Two days to discover the area differently, between a village celebration and sites open free of charge.

      • gang of mothers - Bretagne Tourisme

      • Mégalithes en fête, Saturday 19 September in Carnac

      • On Saturday 19 September 2026, Carnac celebrates its megaliths for the second year running.

        This is a local festival, carried by the 24 towns and villages of the area: in the morning they compete in a sporting quest across the Pays d'Auray, and in the afternoon everyone gathers at the festival village of Croix des Émigrés, on the Saint-Colomban side. Gates open at 2pm.

        You will find team challenges, megalith workshops, an oyster-shucking championship, games for children and plenty to eat well into the evening. The evening brings bagad and Breton dancing, a concert, an aerial show and music until midnight.

        Entry is free, with no booking required. One thing to note: dogs are not allowed on the site.

        The festival village is a 25-minute cycle ride from Camping de la Baie, 7 km along the water's edge.

        The ride takes little effort, the ocean stays in view for most of the way, and a bicycle park awaits at the entrance.

        For those who prefer to drive, free road-train shuttles serve the Carnac car parks from 4pm to midnight.

        The full programme is published on megalithesenfete.com.

         

      • Saint-Colomban and the anse du Pô, a step away from the festival village

      • You might as well make the most of it and spend the whole day here.

        The village of Saint-Colomban gathers its granite houses around a chapel, open every day from 10 am to 6 pm, with its healing fountain just a few steps away.

        The Anse du Pô, once the port of Carnac, has been home to oyster farms since 1880, within a protected natural area.

        You can continue your visit along the coastal path towards the magnificent beach of St Colomban, with fine views over the bay and the Quiberon peninsula.

        Arrive in the early afternoon, take the time to explore the village and the oyster beds, then let the festivities carry you along: the day fills itself.

        That same weekend, European Heritage Days offer a special megalith programme, at the Carnac alignments, the Museum of Prehistory and Locmariaquer. These are the very monuments that earned the area its UNESCO World Heritage listing, in 2025.

      • simon bourcier - oti baie de quiberon tourisme
      • loic kersuzan - morbihan tourisme

      • European Heritage Days, 19 and 20 September 2026

      • The annual European Heritage Days, the French edition of the event British visitors know as Heritage Open Days, take place on 19 and 20 September 2026, with two national themes: heritage at risk, and the heritage of photography, which turns 200 this year. Dozens of sites across the Morbihan open free of charge, many of them closed for the rest of the year. From Camping de la Baie, here is enough to fill two days.

      • alexandre lamoureux - OTI baie de quiberon

      • Baie de Quiberon

        • The Carnac alignments and the Museum of Prehistory
        • The megalithic site of Locmariaquer and its Table des Marchands
        • The Kernevest lighthouse and the oyster-farming heritage of Saint-Philibert
        • The bunker museum and the chapels of Plouharnel
        • The lighthouse, the fishing harbour and the chapels of Quiberon

         

        Pays d'Auray

        • The harbour of Saint-Goustan and the Cadoudal mausoleum in Auray
        • The basilica and the cloister gallery of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray
        • The Saint-Dégan open-air museum in Brech
        • The traditional boat Le Forban at Le Bono
        • The museum of passions and wings in Baden
      • alexandre lamoureux - golfe du morbihan vannes tourisme

      • If you want to go further: Golfe du Morbihan, ria d'Étel and the Lorient area

        These sites call for a car and a full day.

        • In the Golfe du Morbihan, the Gavrinis cairn is reached by boat from Larmor-Baden, while the medieval centre of Vannes, its ramparts and the La Cohue museum are explored on foot. 
        • Along the ria d'Étel, stop at the village of Saint-Cado, in Belz, then in Étel itself, on the harbour, at the tuna fishing museum.
        • A little further on, the Port-Louis citadel houses the National Maritime Museum and the East India Company Museum.
        • In Lorient, the submarine base, the Cité de la Voile and the submarine Flore can all be visited in a single day.

         

        And for anyone drawn to photography, the Festival Photo La Gacilly runs until 4 October 2026, inland. Its theme, "1826-2026: photography, a French adventure", marks 200 years of the invention, precisely the theme chosen this year by European Heritage Days. Twenty open-air exhibitions, in the streets and gardens of the village, free to visit seven days a week.

         

        The full programme, site by site and time by time, is published on journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr.

        Check access conditions before setting off: some guided tours must be booked in advance.

      • Camping de la Baie open until 20 September

      • Camping de la Baie welcomes travellers until Sunday 20 September 2026, whether for a last-minute stay or a weekend in a van or a motorhome.

        September has its advantages. The beaches grow quiet again, the bar-restaurant and the grocery shop stay open until closing day, and bicycles are hired on site, by the half-day or the day.

        In front of the entrance, the coastal path sets off from the pointe de Kervillen and reaches the harbour of La Trinité-sur-Mer in about twenty minutes on foot.

        Heritage on Saturday, the ocean on Sunday, for a last weekend at Camping de la Baie, in La Trinité-sur-Mer.

         

      • Check availability

      • Frequently asked questions

      • When is Mégalithes en fête 2026?

        Saturday 19 September 2026 in Carnac, Croix des Émigrés district, Saint-Colomban. Free, from 2pm.

        What are the dates of Heritage Days 2026?

        19 and 20 September 2026, throughout France.

        Are Heritage Days free?

        Yes for most sites. Some guided tours require booking.

        How far are the Carnac standing stones?

        7 km from Camping de la Baie, a 25-minute cycle ride along the cycle path.

        Is Camping de la Baie open in September?

        Yes, until Sunday 20 September 2026, along with the épicerie de Kervillen, the Beach Pizz snack bar and the "Aux terrasses de La Plage" bar-restaurant.