Germany's most remote spots: where to find real quiet

Germany’s most remote spots are found in the core zones of large national parks such as the Bavarian Forest and the Harz, in the heaths, forests and lake districts of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, along the Elbe in the Altmark, and in uplands such as the Rhön and the Palatinate Forest. Almost nowhere in Germany is truly far from a road. Remote here means large areas without busy roads, few people and real quiet, especially early in the morning and outside school holidays.

How we measure ‘remote’ in Germany

Global travel-time maps are of limited use in Germany, because almost every point is a short trip from a town; we explain them in travel time to cities: accessibility maps explained. Three other criteria work better:

Criterion	Meaning	Source
Unfragmented low-traffic areas	Continuous areas of at least 100 km² not cut by busy roads, railways or settlements	Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)
Population density	Inhabitants per km² at district level	Statistical offices
Protection and path rules	Large core zones without use and with little infrastructure	National park authorities

The list below combines these criteria. It is an editorial selection, not an official ranking.

Quiet areas at a glance

Area	State	Why it is quiet	Without a car
Bavarian Forest, border ridge	Bavaria	Large core zone, few roads along the Czech border	Good: forest railway, park buses
Upper Harz	Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt	Extensive spruce forest and bogs; only the Brocken is busy	Good: narrow-gauge railway, buses
Müritz National Park, Serrahn	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	Lakes, bogs, old beech forest, few inhabitants	Medium: train to Neustrelitz, then bike
Brandenburg heaths	Brandenburg	Former military areas turning into wilderness	Medium: regional train, long walks
Uckermark and Schorfheide	Brandenburg	Lakes, forests, very sparsely populated	Good: regional train from Berlin
Altmark and Elbe valley	Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony	River floodplains, small villages	Medium: regional train, bike
Rhön, Lange Rhön	Bavaria, Hesse, Thuringia	Open high plateau, dark skies	Medium: buses, partly seasonal
Palatinate Forest	Rhineland-Palatinate	One of Germany’s largest continuous forests	Good: regional trains into the valleys

Bavarian Forest

Along the ridge between Lusen, Rachel and Falkenstein the park joins the Czech Šumava National Park, together forming one of the largest forest landscapes in Central Europe. Away from the summits it is quiet even in summer. See our guide to the Bavarian Forest National Park.

Harz

The Brocken summit is anything but remote. A few kilometres away, in the spruce forests and bogs of the upper Harz, you meet few people on weekdays.

Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

These are among the most sparsely populated states in Germany: lakes, pine forests, bogs and tree-lined roads. Former military training areas are now developing into wilderness, but unexploded ordnance may still be present, so only use marked and approved paths. More in wilderness areas in Germany.

Altmark and the Elbe

Between Wittenberge and Lauenburg the Elbe flows through a wide, thinly populated floodplain protected as a biosphere reserve. By bike you can ride for hours through small villages and meadows.

Rhön and Palatinate Forest

The Lange Rhön is an open plateau known for wide views and dark nights. The Palatinate Forest is a huge wooded upland with red sandstone rocks that forms a cross-border biosphere reserve with the Northern Vosges in France.

Timing beats location

Even popular areas are quiet if you:

• start early, before 8 am,
• go on weekdays and outside school holidays,
• walk beyond the viewpoints; most visitors stay within the first two kilometres,
• choose the off-season: November, March and April are calm almost everywhere.

Spending a night outdoors

Wild camping is largely prohibited in Germany and always in protected areas. Several regions offer bookable trekking sites, for example in the Palatinate Forest and the Eifel; see trekking sites in Germany. For truly dark nights, including Westhavelland and the Rhön, see dark sky parks in Europe. For a wider perspective, our guide to the most remote places in Europe shows where remoteness is on a different scale.

Staying safe

Germany has dead zones too, especially in upland valleys and along border ridges. Share your route, download maps for offline use and protect yourself against ticks. The emergency number is 112.