At the summit at night: Where can you spend the night in nature?

Spend the night under the summit cross, roll out your sleeping bag by the mountain lake, cross the Alps in a lightweight tent and sleep wherever you like - so beautiful! But unfortunately forbidden. Spending the night outdoors means wild camping (whether in a motorhome, tent or even just a sleeping bag) and wild camping is prohibited in Germany and Austria under the Nature Conservation Act. The laws vary from state to state. They are different in Bavaria than in Lower Saxony, quite strict in Tyrol, for example, and rather lax in Salzburg. The laws in Switzerland, which is otherwise so strict, are surprisingly relaxed. Bivouacking is even permitted here, but only above the tree line. Special case: emergency overnight stay. If you are surprised by the darkness or have to camp because of a sprained ankle, you are allowed to do so.

>> Also exciting: Micro-adventures with the MTB: an outdoor experience for everyone <<

However, anyone who sleeps under the summit cross as planned is committing an administrative offence. If the summit cross is in the national park, sleeping overnight is even a criminal offence. The reason for the strict laws is our high population density. Laws must protect nature, animals and plants. In Scandinavia, for example, things are different, so everyone is allowed to sleep outside. If you break the rules here, leave no trace when camping and avoid making noise, you are rarely discovered and if you are, it is usually tolerated, but it's still not "cool". "We don't send patrols to the mountain peaks at night, we need them elsewhere," says the police station in Lenggries, Upper Bavaria. And: "We are not aware of any such cases." This is because an illegal night bivouac only becomes a matter of record if it is actually reported. In forests and meadows, campers can annoy the landowner and provoke a complaint. Above the tree line, on the other hand, the likelihood of someone reporting illegal overnight camping is low. This is because only the police and foresters are authorised to check ID cards within their area of responsibility. A hunter can only give instructions.

Wild camping? It's better to abide by the law and leave nature its protected space

Franz Güntner, press officer of the German Alpine Club, nevertheless urges discipline. "There are plenty of opportunities to spend the night legally in the mountains, for example in huts or designated places. That's why you should abide by the law and leave nature its protected space." The amount of the fines is determined by the district office. They are usually between 10 and several hundred euros. Anyone who spends the night in the protected area or lights a campfire will have to dig even deeper into their pockets. The district authority can impose fines of up to 5000 euros. "It's not possible to generalise how high fines will be," says Sophie-Marie Stadler from the Miesbach District Office in Upper Bavaria, "because it's always the result of a case-by-case assessment. If, for example, a fireplace has been set up or the person has been repeatedly reported for wild camping, these factors will have an aggravating effect on the amount of the fine."

Spending the night outdoors - where can you spend the night in nature?

The facts at a glance (source: DAV): Wild camping means planned Spending the night in the great outdoors. Whether in a motorhome, tent, bivouac sack or sleeping bag is of secondary importance.

These are the rules in Germany

• In Germany, the general rules governing the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG)and the Federal Forest Act (BWaldG) Questions about spending the night outdoors. If necessary, the State Nature Conservation Act and the State Forest Act of the respective federal state. With regard to the Alps, the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act (BayNatSchG) and the Bavarian Forest Act (BayWaldG) apply.
• Basically, one thing can be said: If you want to camp, you need to plan well.
• Camping - in and outside the forest - is prohibited in Germany without the landowner's permission. Individual exceptions are trekking sites set up in various federal states, especially in the low mountain ranges.
• Spending the night outdoors in the wild (with the exception of an emergency bivouac) is an administrative offence and you can be prosecuted for it. In addition, there are possible criminal offences, for example Camping in protected areas strictly prohibitedi.e. in nature reserves, national parks or biosphere reserves.

Austria

• The tents and bivouacs have the Federal states in Austria with some serious differences regulated. - Everything is possible, from a tolerated stay to a severe fine. The legal regulations of the individual federal states are summarised at oesterreich.gv.at/camping. The Austrian Alpine Association (ÖAV) also answers other questions in this context, such as how to use mountain huts and, if the going gets tough, how to use the toilet on the mountain.

Switzerland

• In Switzerland, too, the Legal situation for camping and bivouacking inconsistent. Special feature: Above the tree line and outside protected areas, a single overnight stay by a few people is usually unproblematic. The Swiss Alpine Club SAC has compiled an overview including a graphic representation of the applicable regulations at: sac-cas.ch/en.