No matter whether with a tent, a caravan or in a luxury motorhome – camping is trendy. You don't have to go anywhere else to fully enjoy this form of vacation. We present 15 campsites in Germany – from the North and Baltic Seas to the Lüneburg Heath down to the deepest Bavaria.
1. Sylt: Camping Kampen – the northernmost in the Republic
Camping in Kampen – this little word game alone invites you to visit this campsite. Kampen is known to be on the island of the rich and beautiful of Germany, on Sylt. Sylt is the northernmost island in the country.
If you travel by camper, you first have to take the ferry to List from Denmark and from the neighboring island of Rømø. From there you can drive the motorhome south in a few minutes to the northernmost campsite in Germany with a wonderful location between the dunes of the North Sea coast and the village of Kampen. By the way, the next campsite is only 400 meters away, but it is just south.
2. North Sea: Harlesiel – right on the water
There are not many locations in Germany where you can stand directly on the coast with the camper. And by direct is really meant directly. No dike, no protective wall, no road, no bike path between the camper and salt water. The view through the motorhome window looks directly at the sea. If it is there, because we are talking about the North Sea with its Wadden Sea World Heritage.
In the Wangerland, the small river Harle near Harlesiel flows into the North Sea. And this is exactly where there is a wonderful and popular RV park. It just doesn't get any closer to the water. Even the port of Harlesiel is farther from the sea than the parking space. What a sight when the passenger ship to Wangerooge heads for the open sea a few meters in front of the motorhome radiator.
3. Camping site at Königssee: gem in green Friesland
This Königssee is not in Bavaria, but in the flat Friesland in the far north of the republic. The campsite is located directly on the shores of the small lake and offers guests its own sandy bathing beach to relax. A must: trips to the surrounding moorland and the Neuchâtel jungle, a magical place through which a network of beautiful hiking trails leads.
The campground is very familiar – operator Frank Bösel personally takes care of the well-being of his guests. Already in the morning he takes orders for fresh bread at the reception.
Tip: There is an unusual offer at the campsite for everyone who only arrives with a tent. You can rent a lockable refrigerator to store supplies cool and safe.
4. Baltic Sea: Camping holiday park California in the Bay of Kiel
California on the Baltic Sea? It is the district of the same name of Schönberg in Holstein. A shipwreck called California was once washed up here, from which the name is derived. Today it includes a section of beach including a holiday park, apartments, holiday homes, refreshments and a nature friend's house. It should come as no surprise that the California grocer bears the name "Alpen" and that there are street names like Stettiner Weg and Pommernweg. You probably want to position yourself internationally.
The campsite in the far west of California is a few meters from the fine sandy beach. Just past the mini golf course, over the dike and you can see the vast waters of the Baltic Sea. In case of bad weather, which should also exist in the German version of California, the campsite offers alternatives. The table tennis tables are covered and there is a bowling alley in the main building.
Exciting but no time right now?
There is also the option of taking a lap on horseback on the in-house riding arena while the little campers ride ponies along the pony path. And if you feel like it, take a beach walk to Brazil. Because that's the name of the neighboring district, right next to California.
5. Rügen Island: Relaxation and tranquility on the Baltic Sea
Are you longing for the sea and tranquility? Then you have come to the right place at the Thiessow campsite. It is located in the very southeast of the island of Rügen, which is known for its chalk cliffs. On a narrow promontory, surrounded by the gently lapping Baltic Sea, it is practically in a cul-de-sac – and in the middle of the Southeast Rügen biosphere reserve.
Anyone who comes here has a long journey on the island alone and wants to switch off. The best way to do this is to take a walk through the adjacent forest with its gnarled trees to the fine sandy beach of the Baltic Sea. But don't forget the camera – the views are fantastic.
By the way: The place is ideal for everyone who wants to be offline – because of the remote location, there may be problems with cell phone reception.
6. St. Peter-Ording: With the Womo directly to the beach
St. Peter-Ording is the only place in Germany where you can drive on the beach with your own vehicle, also and especially with the camper. On the northern section of the beach there are over 800 meters in a north-south extension, where you will always find a parking space.
The sandy area is so big and there are no markings, so you just stop where you want and leave your motorhome. When you leave the womos you stand directly in the sand and look at the water of the North Sea.
The driveway is only 200 meters from the Biehl campsite. In the south of St. Peter-Ording there is another stretch of beach that can be used by vehicle. The access to the Böhl car park there is only a few meters away from the three neighboring campsites Rönkendorf, Silbermöwe and Rosen-Camp.
7. Cuxhaven: Camping site Wattenlöper – on foot through the Wadden Sea
The name of the campsite says it all. Because Löper is the Low German term for runners. And the place is only 500 meters from the entrance to an almost unique mudflat trail. To be fair, you have to admit that there are two neighboring campsites with the Nordsee and Am Bäderring campsites that offer the same advantage.
There are of course plenty of opportunities on the German North Sea coast to enter the Wadden Sea. You don't always have the opportunity to hike directly to an island. However, this is feasible in Cuxhaven-Duhnen. The island of Neuwerk is nine kilometers off the coast. Both from Duhnen and from the next Cuxhaven district of Sahlenburg, where the Muschelgrund and Wernerwald campsites are still located, starts a hiking trail to the distant island.
Because you don't just walk straight through the Wadden Sea. It is far too dangerous. Rather, you follow the prickles that have been attached to the muddy ground and guide the hiker through the mudflats. These tufts of twigs are somewhat reminiscent of Easter bouquets in which the Easter eggs have been forgotten. But they serve as orientation and are vital for survival.
The short time slots in which you can get into the Wadden Sea at the campsites are just as important. They shift daily and make waddening a venture that you should prepare well for. If the time, weather and condition are not right, you should leave it with a walk on the beach or stay at the beautiful Wattenlöper campsite.
8. In the middle of the Harz Mountains: parking space at the stave church
Hahnenklee is a remote part of Goslar. There is a very simple parking space for camper tourists right there. The equipment is functional because the space is only part of the local parking lot. But hardly any motorhome parking space in Germany can claim the romance more than the parking space in Goslar-Hahnenklee. Because when you leave the motorhome you are immediately at the rendezvous bank, where, if things go well, a romantic love story begins. Right next to it you walk through the gate of love. This starts a lovingly designed circular walk through the forest.
Numerous benches and picnic areas have been carved in great detail and each presents a different topic. Of course it's about love. In chronological order, you walk a good seven kilometers from the Hasch-mich-Bank to the engagement bench and the porcelain wedding bench to the last seat. The crown jewel wedding bench commemorates the 75th wedding anniversary. A long way to get there, but the registry office is happy to help – because you can get married directly on Liebesbankweg.
- More info: simple, but quiet and free overnight accommodation: Am Bocksberg, 38644 Goslar-Hahnenklee
9. Lüneburg Heath: South Sea camp, island flair and beach life
Heath landscape with extensive bogs and then the subject of the South Seas? The Südsee-Camp manages the balancing act between the starting point for moor hikes and the beach experience on the shores of a lake. If you are not lucky enough to have a direct view of the lake from your motorhome, you can at least take a walk around the beach and stop at the beach bar or in the island restaurant.
Since northern Germany offers different weather conditions than the classic South Seas, there is also a covered swimming paradise with a water slide and Kontiki bar. A lovingly designed mini golf course spreads out right next to it. His name Jungle Golf is also the theme of the play area and also evokes southern associations. A whopping 700 meters away is less tropical, but fascinating anyway. Because it goes high into the high ropes course, which is also part of the campsite.
Otherwise there is still the riding stable, children's playgrounds and various events that the Südsee-Camp offers. Vasco Núñez de Balboa never returned to Spain and you don't want to go home so quickly here at the campsite.
10. Camping site on the Oder river: So beautiful on the Oder
If you choose the campsite in Mescherin as a holiday location, you are on the northern edge of the Lower Oder Valley National Park and have a good starting point to explore it in peace. If you want, you can experience the floodplains by canoe, go fishing on the river or take a day trip to the Oderhaff on the Oder-Neisse cycle path.
In the evening, you can also visit the small center of the Polish city of Gryfino on the other side of the Oder Bridge. There is also a beautiful wooden lookout tower on the German bridgehead, which offers a great view of the fantastic Oder landscape. You should bring a little bit of head for heights because you can look straight down through the steps. But that's how you can experience and enjoy small adventures at the Lower Oder Valley National Park.
11. Eifel National Park: Camping Rursee – seclusion and SUP fun
Since 2014, the former community campground has been in the hands of the Bauer family, who run it lovingly and in a family atmosphere. It is located on the edge of a small side arm between the villages of Rurberg and Woffelsbach and is therefore in a secluded location. Only the two-wheelers on the nearby country road disturb the idyll as everywhere on the Rursee.
But when you spend the night at the campsite, you're always busy. Because stand-up paddling, or SUP for short, is offered directly on the pitch. Here you paddle standing on a kind of surfboard. “Explore & Chill”, ie discover and relax, is the motto under which you can take different courses.
There are courses from the one and a half hour introduction for beginners to the full moon tour, which is logically only offered once a month. For this, these are also carried out in the cold season in November and December. The wood-fired barrel sauna is then available for warming up.
Outside the campsite there are numerous hiking and biking trails for leisure activities. Part of the Eifelsteig runs on the other side of the lake and, among other things, through the desert of wool soaps on the Dreiborn plateau. The area belongs to the Eifel National Park.
12. Vulkaneifel, Pulvermaar Camping: Small place with an explosive location
Circular – this is how the Maar lakes of the Vulkaneifel generally present themselves. These are hollows filled with water, which were formed in the time of volcanism. The powder maize has a diameter of almost 650 meters and is easy to circle. The starting point is the small campsite, which is also the only settlement on the lakeshore.
You cannot park your motorhome directly on the shore, but the terrace of the on-site bistro offers a wonderful view of the calm lake. In order to deal more closely with the subject of volcanism, you should get on your bike and drive to the town of Daun, about ten kilometers away.
You pass other marshes and you have the opportunity to visit the volcano museum. A small, cozy campsite like this, together with such an explosive location, is rarely found.
13. On the Moselle: Campinginsel Sonnenwerth / Mosel-Island – island feeling in the river
Germany offers more inland islands than you might imagine at first. But there are fewer than a handful of river islands with campsites in Germany. Two of them are washed by the water of the Moselle. At Treis-Karden on the Pommerer Werth is the Mosel Islands campsite, while further down the Hatzenporther Werth is the Sonnenwerth campsite. Incidentally, the name ending -werth is always striking. This name stands for river island and was demonstrably used for this in the 8th century.
The Hatzenporter Werth, stretched out by the constant current of the Moselle, is only a little wooded in the western part. Most of the island is only available to the campsite. This in turn is connected to the town of Hatzenport by a small bridge on the north bank of the Moselle. It is similar with the Pommerer Werth with the Mosel Islands camping site, only that this island is connected to the southern bank of the Moselle and that the island also has a small boat harbor at its eastern end. But no matter which river island campsite you choose: in the middle of Germany you are completely secluded on an island, and there is nothing you can do.
14. Allgäu, Camping Via Claudia: Holidays between mountains and lakes
This campsite on the north-west bank of the Lechstausee in the Allgäu is large and modern. If you check in here, you not only enjoy a great view of the lake, but also the surrounding mountains – an ideal location for hikers and water sports enthusiasts. In addition to the idyllic landscape, there is an outstanding sight: Just a few kilometers away in Füssen is the fairytale castle Neuschwanstein by Ludwig II.
The sanitary building was only renovated a few years ago. The extraordinary thing about it: the operator brought pictures of toilets around the world with him and put them together in a collage. Since then, these can be viewed under the motto "Toilets of the World" in the passage to the campsite toilets.
15. Chiemsee: Camping Seehäusel – small, but with the best lake location
Anyone who has ever stayed at the Seehäusl campsite on the eastern shore of Lake Chiemsee will never forget it. All others are warned on the website of the campsite: there is no turning on site and you can not come back. You won't have to spend the rest of your life at the campsite. But if all spaces are occupied, then you should avoid driving into the space with a motorhome or trailer.
The campsite is almost 90 by 90 meters. On this area there are 50 parking spaces for caravans and mobile homes as well as the reception building including the restaurant. So it gets cozy and you are guaranteed to get to know your neighbors at the campsite – whether you want it or not. The location of the place makes up for a lot. After all, the campsite is located directly on the shore of Lake Chiemsee and has its own jetty on the hotel's own pebble beach. Over the lake you can see the magnificent backdrop of the Alps.
The texts are excerpts from Michael Moll's book "111 German campsites you need to know", Emons Verlag