France's Carnac stones vie for UNESCO world heritage list spot

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00:00They predate the Roman Empire by at least 3,000 years.

00:04Made up of thousands of hand-carved stones, the Carnac Alignment stretch four kilometres

00:09along the coast of Brittany.

00:11The site has been dubbed France's Stonehenge by some, and now it could be joining the Stonehenge

00:16on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a move the local mayor would welcome.

00:20It's going to bring protection, enhancement and the possibility of improving the visitor

00:26experience.

00:29Being granted UNESCO World Heritage status can unlock funding for the protection of

00:33sites, but some fear that if the alignments make the list, it may result in overtourism.

00:40I think it's always a double-edged sword.

00:45The fact that it's protected is great, it's important, and I think it's also important

00:51for the region.

00:52But what always bothers me when a place becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site is that it brings

00:58even more tourists.

01:01Back in 2023, 39 of the stones were removed to make way for a new hardware store, a move

01:07that sparked criticism from local archaeologists.

01:11The alignments are among 30 heritage list applications under consideration this year.

01:15The

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