Parking the caravan directly on the beach or looking at the starry sky in front of your own tent sounds tempting. However romantic the undisturbed encounter with nature may be – it can have legal consequences. Because "wild camping" or wild camping is officially prohibited in Germany.
Wild camping is a national issue
Each federal state has its own nature conservation and forest laws, which makes the legal basis relatively opaque. However, camping is strictly prohibited in nature reserves. On private property it is only allowed with the consent of the owner, this also applies to private forests.
However, there is also the so-called right of access in Germany, which allows everyone to relax in the open countryside. Theoretically, this right also includes overnight stays – but not wild camping.
Baden-Württemberg: wild camping prohibited
Wild camping is generally not permitted in Baden-Württemberg. It is enshrined in the state's nature conservation law (paragraph 44) that the right of access from the Federal Nature Conservation Act does not include "driving motorized vehicles, parking motorized vehicles and trailers, camping or lighting a fire".
Bavaria: wild camping prohibited
According to the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act (BayNatSchG), everyone can enjoy free access to all parts of the great outdoors for the enjoyment of natural beauty and relaxation without official approval and without the consent of the landowner or other authorized person (Art. 27 paras. 1 and 2 BayNatSchG). This so-called right of access only applies to activities in the context of traditional forms of leisure and sports that serve the enjoyment of nature and relaxation.
Setting up and living in tents or caravans in the wild outside of approved tents or campsites is more than just "normal entry" and is therefore not covered by the right of entry, as the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment writes.
A permit from the district administrative authority is usually required for camping, lighting and operating open fires in landscape conservation areas.
In principle, however, this is prohibited in
- National parks,
- Nature reserves,
- Areas protected as a natural monument,
- protected landscape components,
- legally protected biotopes,
- Game reserves,
- protected wild biotopes and
- Water protection areas.
The municipalities and district administrative authorities provide information.
Berlin: wild camping prohibited
Camping in the forest is forbidden and only permitted with special authorization: "Anyone who (…) erects a tent or similar storage site outside the property released for this purpose also acts in an improper manner", states the Land Forests Act, paragraph 23.
Brandenburg: Hikers can camp one night
In Brandenburg there is an exception that resembles the right of everyone in Sweden. This is regulated in the Nature Conservation Implementation Act. Paragraph 28 states: "Except in national parks, national natural monuments and nature reserves, non-motorized hikers are allowed to camp for one night in the open countryside away from campsites and campsites if they are authorized by private law and there are no other legal regulations."
Bremen: Wildcampen is subject to a legal gray area
In Bremen, the tent options are very limited due to the small undeveloped areas. In this federal state there is also no state forest law and thus the federal forest law applies. There it only says in paragraph 13: "The interests of nature conservation, other people seeking relaxation and the rights of the owners (should) not be unreasonably impaired."
Hamburg: consent of the forest owner required
With the permission of the forest owner, you can camp in open landscapes in Hamburg (Landeswaldgesetz, paragraph 9, paragraph 4).
Hessen: approval of the forest owner required
The Hessian Forest Act (Paragraph 15, Paragraph 5) stipulates that entering and using the forest – for all activities that go beyond normal recreation – the forest owner must agree: “In particular, camping and parking of caravans require approval and other mobile accommodations. "
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: wild camping prohibited
Paragraph 29 of the Landeswaldgesetz states: "Camping and parking of caravans, mobile homes (…) are not permitted. Exceptions require the prior approval of the forest authority and the consent of the forest owner."
Lower Saxony: wild camping prohibited
Wildcamping is not permitted in Lower Saxony according to paragraph 27 of the Lower Saxony Law on Forests and Landscaping: "Outside of approved campsites, camping, setting up caravans and mobile homes and staying in tents, mobile homes and caravans are not permitted in the open countryside. "
North Rhine-Westphalia: wild camping prohibited
According to the State Forestry Act, "driving in the forest with the exception of cycling and driving with medical elevators on roads and solid paths, as well as camping and parking of caravans and motor vehicles in the forest (…)" is prohibited.
Read also: Magical nature experiences in Germany – incredibly beautiful: these are the most spectacular landscapes of our republic
Rhineland-Palatinate: wild camping prohibited without permission
As long as you cannot show a permit from the forest owner, camping or wild camping in Rhineland-Palatinate is prohibited according to the state forest law paragraph 22.
Tip: In the Palatinate Forest there are 15 trekking spots around Kaiserslautern and Landau for an overnight stay in a tent. Booking costs 10 euros: www.trekking-pfalz.de.
Saarland: wild camping prohibited
Camping in the wild is not permitted in Saarland according to Section 11 of the Nature Conservation Act. It says: "The right to enter does not include driving with covered or motorized vehicles (…) or camping."
Saxony: wild camping prohibited
According to the Saxon Nature Conservation Act, paragraph 28, camping and camping are not subject to the right of access and are therefore not permitted in the wild.
Saxony-Anhalt: wild camping allowed with permission
With the express permission of the forest owner, camping and wild camping in nature is permitted in accordance with Section 22 of the State Forest Act. "The prior consent of the authorized user in the open landscape requires (1) camping or setting up caravans or mobile homes, (2) putting on fireplaces, (3) setting up beehives or beehives."
Schleswig-Holstein: One night is allowed
In contrast, it looks better for tent lovers in Schleswig-Holstein. The country in the far north is one of the few federal states in Germany that has created just under 20 overnight accommodations in the wild under the name "Wildes Schleswig-Holstein". The offer is only valid for nature lovers who travel by bike or on foot, and a maximum of one night is permitted. All information about the overnight places as well as the officially designated places can be found on the homepage.
Thuringia: approval of the forest owner required
Wildcamping is permitted in Thuringia according to the Thuringian Forest Act (Paragraph 10) subject to conditions. The parking of caravans and camping requires the consent of the forest owner.
Camping in the wild is legal
"Bivouacking", that is, staying overnight without a tent, is not officially prohibited. So, for example, if you only sleep in the open air with a sleeping mat and sleeping bag, you are entering a legal gray area. Therefore, a night in a bivouac is usually tolerated.
But where can you legally pitch your tent? Away from the campsites, so-called "natural campsites" offer an alternative if you like it remote and simple. A little more comfortable are "trekking pitches", which are usually equipped with a tent site, a fireplace with seating and a composting toilet.
Motorhome or caravan: One night allowed to "restore roadworthiness"
The market for motorhomes has been booming for several years. But be careful: wild camping is prohibited. Parking is allowed wherever it is not explicitly prohibited (note the road traffic regulations), but not overnight.
There is only one exception: one night is allowed – officially to "restore roadworthiness". So if you are too tired to continue, you can stop and rest. The period is given here as about ten hours. The following applies: leave the camping furniture inside, do not extend the awning – so that the one-time overnight stay does not become a special use that requires approval.
Several nights in a public parking lot are subject to special use. Anyone who stays there for a longer period of time uses it for living and not for transport purposes. Parking the motorhome on private property is only permitted with the consent of the owner.
There is a risk of fines for illegal camping
Whoever gets caught illegally at “Wild Camping” usually gets away with a warning and a request to move on quickly. Wild campers are only allowed to drive away police or forest officials, but hunters are not authorized to do this. How high a penalty is for illegal camping is in the fines catalogs of the individual federal states – it can be due up to 5,000 euros.
How to find the perfect place for wild camping
As a counterpart to Airbnb: There are now numerous online platforms in Germany for finding tent or parking spaces. These include Campspace, Jedermannsland and 1Nite Tent.
There are also some exceptional areas in Germany where wild camping is allowed. These include the Palatinate Forest or the Hunsrück, the Bavarian Spessart and the Saxon Switzerland National Park. In Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein or in the Black Forest, visitors can also spend a night in the great outdoors.Surf tip: Holidays in Germany: these are the ten dream beaches on the North and Baltic Seas