This might be a dumb question, but when driving on the roads there’s these little parking pull off areas. Are those just for resting or can I park there and go hiking?
I’m worried I might end up on some farmers land that will get mad haha
by bree119
10 comments
Yes, those are also for hiking. As long as you not leave the paths and not ignore any obvious signs, you will be fine.
That P sign means you can park there.
It’s a parking space that’s routinely used by truckers to stay the night. Parking for a few hours or even a day shouldn’t be a problem.
>Are those just for resting or can I park there and go hiking?
Yes…
Both could be the case. It depends on the parking space. Some may just be resting stops, some may be the entrace to a hiking trail. Look at the signage.
Yes. Just make sure you park far enough to the side that other people can get through, then it’s no problem you’re all good.
In Germany you have the right to walk on paths between fields or in forests. As long as its not fenced in you should be fine. The markings for hiking to specific places are often not very good anymore though. If you want to go somewhere maybe look the way beforehand or use an app.
If it’s intended as a hiking trail you will commonly find a map at the parking spot showing you the hiking paths and the signs used by them
However you are generally allowed to follow all roads and paths, unless there is a clear sign or fence that makes it clear you shouldn’t. You can absolutely use the paths used by the farmer for reaching his fields, or paths in a forest that were created for getting logs out.
little side note: often, these old parking “side roads” are actually the old road, before the newer bigger one was built. (not always, but you can notice it in areas with steeper terrain). old road was smaller and had more curves to move along the terrain. when they rebuilt it, they made it bigger and straighter, leaving the old road left and right. i know a couple roads in bavaria where these “parking side roads” really take turns left and right, once one side is done, there is the other side immediately and back again.
No farner will get mad at you for hiking along the fields or through the forest so long you stay on the Feld/Waldwege.
[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betretungsrecht_(Erholung,_Sport)#Deutschland](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betretungsrecht_(Erholung,_Sport)#Deutschland)
You are allowed to be on private and public Land so long it’s not ‘eingefriedet’ [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einfriedung](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einfriedung)
A parking space is a parking space: if there are no signs giving restrictions, there are no restrictions.
In Germany you have a broad right to roam, but you have to be sensible about it. You can go on tracks and footpaths unless there are signs telling you to keep out. It’s best to keep to paths, but definitely keep off fields that have crops growing in them and keep out of any area that is fenced. If you have a dog, don’t let it harass livestock.
Actual “Wanderparkplätze” often have things like picnic tables, maps showing hiking trails in the area, that kind of thing.
There are designated hiking trails — some short round trips, some long-distance trails — marked with [waymarkings](https://walk-to-balance.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Wegzeichen-Roter-Balken.jpg), which you may find nailed to or painted on trees, posts and walls: they can be simple geometric shapes, numbers, letters, or [more complicated pictograms](https://www.bistum-wuerzburg.de/fileadmin/_processed_/1/3/csm_Fraenkischer_Marienweg_c_Internetredaktion__ff32c8b4b0.jpg). If you follow these, you can be certain you’re not going anywhere you shouldn’t be.
There are mapping apps that show these hiking routes. I have “OSM Viewer”, which uses OpenStreetMaps. It’s incredibly basic with very few features, but one feature it does have is that it can overlay these hiking trails on the map.
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