Metalhenge, an astronomical viewpoint and art installation located in Bremen, has captured the attention of tourists from around the world. Perched approximately 40 meters high on the eastern part of the decommissioned Blockland landfill in the Walle district, Metalhenge offers a unique experience for visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of the cosmos. If you're planning a visit to this captivating attraction, finding suitable parking nearby can enhance your overall experience. Luckily, Mobypark, a leading parking management platform, offers affordable and convenient parking solutions in the vicinity of Metalhenge.
Metalhenge, conceptualized and constructed through a collaboration between artist and actor Thomas Roth and the Bremen Waste Management (DBS), opened its gates to the public on July 16, 2021. Situated on a rehabilitated section of the landfill, Metalhenge stands as the highest artificial elevation in Bremen, reaching 51 meters above sea level. The viewing platform, located at a height of approximately 40 meters, provides a remarkable panoramic view stretching up to 23 kilometers. Access to Metalhenge is facilitated by a nearly one-kilometer-long barrier-free path that winds around the eastern edge of the landfill.
Inspired by the significance and alignment of Stonehenge, as well as other renowned archaeoastronomical structures like Woodhenge and the Goseck circular enclosure, Metalhenge features 25 steles, each measuring up to four meters in height. These steles are meticulously oriented towards various astronomical celestial objects. While the east-facing steles represent the rising points of selected stars, the west-facing ones symbolize the extreme setting positions of the sun and moon, the Ptolemy star cluster, and the Virgo galaxy cluster. Additionally, there are three steles representing the cardinal directions of north, east, and west, along with a double stele indicating the south, enabling visitors to orient themselves geographically.
Among the 25 steles at Metalhenge, several incorporate different-shaped apertures. To grasp their significance, it is best to observe them from the center of the circle at an eye level of 1.50 meters. From this perspective, the apertures allow observers to track the path of celestial bodies in the sky and their movement below the horizon. These openings facilitate a deeper understanding of celestial motion. Furthermore, the inner circle of the monument features 12 round stones, known as ground markers, which can only be fully appreciated from the center of the circle. By looking at a stone with various inscriptions from this vantage point, one's gaze aligns with the corresponding (archaeo)astronomically relevant place or object on Earth. The ground markers enable imaginative contemplation of distant locations through the Earth's interior, including the Pyramids of Giza, the Mexican site of Chichen Itza, the European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), and the Roden Crater.
To reach the Metalhenge viewing platform, visitors traverse a stone pathway that also serves as a planet trail, providing a scaled representation of a segment of our solar system at a ratio of 1:1 billion. At the center of the stele circle lies the sun, scaled to 1.40 meters in this representation. The four inner planets--Mercury , Venus , Earth , and Mars --are marked along the ascent path with planetary symbols embedded in the pavement stones. These planets are located approximately 60 meters, 110 meters, 150 meters, and 230 meters away from the installation's center, respectively. The orbits of the four outer planets extend beyond the confines of the Blockland landfill property