Wild nights in the mountains? Spending the night in Bavaria remains prohibited!

Wild nights in the mountains? Spending the night in Bavaria remains prohibited!

A group of young hikers recently decided to spend the night on the Breichspitz in the Bavarian mountains. Instead of in a cozy hotel room, they slipped into their sleeping bags and were noticeable with flashlights. A not completely clever plan, because the mountain rescue guard was quickly alerted. The district office then made it clear that Wildes are not allowed in nature in Bavaria. Because regardless of whether tents, bivouac bags or even open sleeping bags - everything falls under the strict ban, as long as there is no approval of the property owner.

These regulations are particularly serious in protected areas - this includes nature reserves, landscape protection areas, national parks or biosphere reserves. Here, staying can quickly become a crime. The Brecherspitz is also located in the landscape protection area "Spitzingsee and the surrounding area". To ensure order, full -time rangers and volunteer nature conservation guards monitor compliance with these regulations. In the event of violations, sensitive fines threaten.

What applies to wild camps?

A look at the nationwide regulations shows that the topic of wild camps in Germany is extremely complex and is handled differently depending on the state. According to the Federal Nature Conservation Act (§59), entering the free landscape is allowed, but camping always requires the approval of the corresponding owner. In protected areas, overnight stays are inadmissible. If you don't stick to it, you can expect fines of 15 to 500 euros, even more in a protected area - up to 2,500 euros for caravans!

• Baden-Württemberg : Wild camps not allowed.
• Bavaria : approval of the owner required, high penalties for violations.
• Brandenburg : A night of tents allows under certain conditions.
• North Rhine-Westphalia : tents in the forest basically prohibited.

The good news for passionate camper is that there are places designated in some federal states that have special offers for overnight stays. These natural tent places and trekking places often have a small fee of 5 to 10 euros per night and offer things such as fireplaces and compost toilets. However, a timely booking is recommended because the places are in demand.

alternatives and tips

If you would like to stay in nature, you should find out more. Cabt can be made on private site or designated places as long as the owner's permission is available. Exceptions are possible in the case of unexpected emergencies, such as an injury or sudden change in weather. In these cases, however, a planned stay is not permitted.

For real adventurous people, there is still the possibility to sleep without a tent, for example in a hammock or an emergency shelter. But here, too, care should be taken into account so as not to strain the beautiful nature. After all, many hikers care about nature.

Finally, it can be said that a good hand is decisive when choosing the overnight stay in order not only to sweeten the night outdoors, but also to avoid legal difficulties. Detailed information about the respective rules can also be found online, for example on the pages of the district office or corresponding camping information portals.