Fascination of the sky and how people learned from it
The sky has always magically attracted people's gaze. They watched it, studied it, but for a long time they were clueless about what was going on there. That changed about 7000 years ago with the construction of this mysterious circular tomb of concentric circles, ditches and gates; better known as the Solar observatory of Goseck.
Its three precisely aligned gates served as sighting devices for people to observe the sun at the time of the solstices. A precious discovery and the first proof that certain astronomical phenomena recur regularly. To this day, the Goseck solar observatory marks the birth of our human calendar! Incidentally, 2000 years before people began stacking stones on top of each other at Stonehenge to find out similar things.
Learn more about the Goseck Solar Observatory!
Let yourself be enchanted by the mystique of this place and feel the powerful aura that surrounds it.
In the associated information centre (with or without a guided tour) you can learn all about the history; significance and functioning. The site has still lost none of its fascination. Every winter and summer solstice, numerous people come together to witness live how the sun illuminates certain gates only on these days, as it did thousands of years ago.
Want more sky?
The solar observatory is part of the tourist route Heavenly wayswhere you can discover even more exciting astronomical highlights in the Saale Unstrut region. Experience a journey through time in the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, the Ring Sanctuary Pömmelte or visit the Site of the Nebra Sky Disk with its visitor centre in the form of the golden sky barque - Nebra Ark.
Solve riddles and discover the region interactively
The "Circle of Goseck" is an interactive web app that guides you in a playful way to interesting and surprising places in the region. Those who engage in riddles and explorations will discover places and details that remain hidden from many people.
As you go exploring, bit by bit you will learn more and more of the fictional story surrounding the "Circle of Goseck". Become part of an exciting game that only opens up the mysterious sides of Saale-Unstrut to the initiated.
