Camping, glamping, sleeping outdoors: balmy summer nights invite you to spend the night outside. Plenty of fresh air and space is a bonus in times of Covid-19. We show you where you can sleep under the open sky, while enjoying live blackjack, and how you can combine it with ideal consideration for the environment and climate.
Falling asleep under the starry sky and being gently awakened by the first birdsong: spending the night in the middle of nature is always a special experience. The good news is that sleeping in a tent or hammock in a minimalist way also protects the climate. A night in a tent generates an average of only two kilograms of CO2, ten times less than a night in a conventional hotel. However, there are a few things to consider when sleeping outdoors. In Germany, you can’t just pitch your tent anywhere, and certain areas should be reserved entirely for animals.
A Brief Overview: Where And How Is Sleeping Outdoors Permitted?
As a general rule, camping is not permitted in nature reserves, such as national parks or biosphere reserves, or in Germany’s coastal areas. For all other areas, such as forests or open countryside, different laws apply depending on the federal state. In general, however, wild camping is usually prohibited.
The situation is different when staying overnight without a tent, i.e., only with a sleeping pad, a bivouac, or sleeping in a hammock. Unlike camping, there are no explicit laws governing this, so it is neither expressly prohibited nor expressly permitted.
Sleeping Outdoors: You Should Observe These Rules
- Choose your sleeping spot carefully. For example, you should avoid typical bird nesting sites such as willow trees, moorland, and floodplains. Areas with a lot of wildlife are also not good places to spend the night.
- Leave only footprints. This basic rule is actually self-evident: do not leave any trash at your sleeping spot—not even food scraps.
- Don’t light fires. As nice as a campfire may be, you should definitely refrain from lighting one in the great outdoors. It can disturb animals and, especially in summer, increases the risk of forest fires.
- Avoid crowded places and don’t post your sleeping spot on social media. Recently, there have been several reports of crowded protected areas being tagged on Instagram. This is not good news for animals and nature. Therefore, when choosing where to stay overnight, but also for your vacation in general, it is better to choose places and destinations away from the crowds.
Sleeping Under The Stars – Trekking Sites
On our website wirsindanderswo.de, we regularly post tips on sleeping outdoors. There you will find places where you can legally spend the night in a tent surrounded by nature. For example: Trekking sites
Spend the night legally surrounded by nature, often even in nature reserves or national parks: This is possible in more and more places in Germany thanks to so-called trekking sites. The camps are often hidden in the middle of the forest and can only be reached on foot or by bike. They are usually equipped with minimal infrastructure: a platform for your tent, a small fire pit, and a toilet block. You can find such trekking sites in the Black Forest, the Eifel, or the Palatinate, for example.
If you want to sleep outdoors but prefer a little more company and infrastructure, camping or – the luxurious version – glamping is the right choice for you. In Europe, for example, there is Ecocamping. Campsites with this seal are particularly environmentally friendly, conserve resources, and incorporate nature conservation goals and measures.
