Stargazing from your campervan — the best spots in Europe

Friesland / Groningen — near Lauwersoog

The first official Dark Sky Park in the Netherlands on the mainland. The national park has two sky platforms — observation towers with lying boards so you can watch the stars lying down without neck pain. On clear nights the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye. During active aurora activity even the northern lights can be seen here.

Wadden Island Terschelling

De Boschplaat is the first and darkest official Dark Sky Park in the Netherlands — one of the darkest places in all of Western Europe. The combination of dunes, sea and a night sky with zero light pollution is unforgettable. Climb a dune top, let your eyes adjust to the dark for half an hour and you'll discover stars you never see in the city.

Friesland / Drenthe

Zwarte Haan is a tiny hamlet at the end of a dead-end road in Friesland, right on the outer dyke. Total darkness, total silence. In Drenthe, Appelscha is an excellent alternative: wooded surroundings, little industry nearby, and easy to reach. The open heathlands to the south of the Fochteloërveen give a wide view of the sky.

North Rhine-Westphalia — near Monschau and Gemünd

Germany's first and most famous Dark Sky Park, less than 3 hours' drive from Amsterdam. Surrounded by major cities like Cologne, Bonn and Aachen, yet remarkably dark thanks to an active policy against light pollution. The park organises stargazing walks and astronomy events. Right on the Belgian border, so easily combined with a route through the Ardennes.

Bavaria / Hesse / Thuringia — central Germany

The Rhön is known as the "land of endless views" — vast mountain meadows up to 950 metres in altitude, virtually no development and a sky recognised by the Dark Sky Association as exceptionally dark. Less well-known than the Eifel, so also less visited. Ideal for the longer road trip that also deserves the Horizon.

Province of Liège — near Bütgenbach and Baraque Michel

Belgium has no officially certified Dark Sky Park, but the Belgian Eifel and the High Fens plateau border directly on the German Dark Sky Park and benefit from the same protected dark-sky policy. The High Fens is Belgium's highest plateau (694 metres) and offers an unobstructed view of the sky. The combination with the Ardennes makes it ideal for a weekend trip from Amsterdam.

Gard / Lozère — southern Massif Central

The Cévennes is the largest Dark Sky-certified area in Western Europe and ranks among the darkest places on the continent. The park is enormous — larger than the whole of North Holland — with virtually no artificial light. On clear nights not only the Milky Way but also the so-called "zodiacal light" and even the Andromeda galaxy are visible to the naked eye. In summer the park organises night walks with astronomers.

Hautes-Pyrénées — near Bagnères-de-Bigorre

At 2,877 metres stands a professional observatory with a history as a military lookout post. Accessible by cable car; the observatory also offers overnight stays for tourists including dinner, stargazing through professional telescopes and a sunrise above the clouds. Places are limited — book months in advance. The surrounding valleys are also excellent for campervans who want to observe the night sky.