Europe’s oldest civilizations
NEED TO KNOW
LOCATION The site is beside the town of Goseck in Germany
ACCESS Open Apr–Oct:
10am–6pm; Nov–Mar: 11am–4pm
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
Jan: 37°F (3°C);
Apr: 45°F (7°C);
Jul: 68°F (20°C);
Oct: 48°F (9°C)
Four concentric circles spotted in a wheatfield at Goseck in 1991 led two archaeologists to start investigating 11 years later. They found the mound, ditch, and the remains of two palisades of a Neolithic wooden henge, like many seen across Europe, except this one was 7,000 years old.
Research has revealed that it may have been a kind of solar observatory – the earliest known in Europe.
The henge was rebuilt using more than 2,000 hand-hewn wooden posts to create two rows of palisades and three gates. The southeast and southwest gates catch the sun at midday on the winter solstice, which is why this day was chosen to open the site to the public in 2005.
Practical Information
Getting There and Around From Berlin, it’s just over a 2-hour drive to Goseck. Alternatively, the regional Leipzig-Halle Airport has direct flights from Paris and Vienna. Goseck is 36 miles (60 km) away by road.
When to Go You can visit the site in summer, but the winter solstice has special significance