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As of March 2026, more than 200 locations in 22 countries across the world have been certified as International Dark Sky Places by the NGO DarkSky International, spanning more than 160,000 square kilometres of protected land. <\/p>\n
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These places act as green sites which make conscious efforts to protect and conserve the natural darkness of the sky, which also helps nocturnal wildlife. <\/p>\n
Cooler temperatures, avoiding daytime crowds and a greater desire to connect with nature has led to the rise of “noctourism”, especially among millennials and Gen Zers. <\/p>\n
This includes nighttime activities like stargazing and “starbathing”, or observing celestial events such as solar eclipses, night hikes and night safaris. <\/p>\n
This trend has made dark sky parks especially popular. Upcoming events such as the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 has contributed to this shift, with solar eclipse tours and cruises in very high demand. <\/p>\n
Currently, there are more than 31 International Dark Sky Parks in Europe, across countries like France, the UK, Hungary, Germany and more. <\/p>\n
Ahead of International Dark Sky Week, these are some of the best places for stargazing and starbathing in Europe. <\/p>\n
Where can I stargaze in the United Kingdom & Ireland?<\/p>\n
Together, the UK and Ireland boast more than 20 dark sky places<\/a>.<\/p>\n First up is the Bodmin Moor Dark Sky Landscape along the Cornish coast<\/strong><\/a> in England. This rugged heathland, straight out of an 18th Century novel, is beautiful both day and night with plenty of walkways traversing its craggy cliffs.<\/p>\n Northumberland<\/strong><\/a> National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park in the north of England is already a popular tourist destination during the day. But as everybody else returns to their hotel for the night, you could be out witnessing a magnificent display of nature – the Milky Way.<\/p>\n Elan Valley Estate in Wales has become a popular destination for tourists looking to climb the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia<\/strong><\/a>, both of which are certified.<\/p>\n Further north is Galloway Forest Park in Scotland<\/strong><\/a>, which is abundant in evergreen forestry and beautiful lakes.<\/p>\n Ballycroy National Park and Wild Nephin Wilderness in Ireland<\/strong><\/a> is situated in the Owenduff and Nephin Mountains, this spot is teaming with trees, lakes and moors. It\u2019s the perfect place to escape it all and quite literally stare into space.<\/p>\n Where is the best place to stargaze in Spain?<\/p>\n Albany\u00e0, situated in Girona, Catalonia is the ideal spot for Spanish stargazers. If you head to Bassegoda Park, there are regular educational tours to join as you gaze up at the twinkling stars.<\/p>\n Where to see the stars in Hungary<\/p>\n Hungary<\/strong><\/a> has three dark sky places and so it\u2019s only right that we begin with B\u00fckk, Hungary\u2019s largest national park<\/strong><\/a>. Situated in the B\u00fckk Mountains in the north, near the city of Miskolc, the perfect stargazing opportunity awaits you somewhere beneath the country\u2019s tallest peaks.<\/p>\n While B\u00fckk National Park<\/strong><\/a> may be Hungary\u2019s largest, Hortob\u00e1gy National Park has got to be its most impressive. It\u2019s the country\u2019s first ever national park which has remained largely untouched since the last ice age. The park offers night time walks to visitors and plans to open an observatory at some point in the future.<\/p>\n Zselic National Landscape Protection Area, close to the border with Slovakia, is deemed the best place with close to unaltered dark night skies in Hungary by the IDSA. Certified in 2009, the parks surrounding municipalities all work to preserve the sky\u2019s natural darkness there.<\/p>\n Netherlands is the most light polluted country in Europe<\/p>\n Situated on the east of Terschelling Island, De Boschplaat is a Natura 2000 nature reserve recognised by the European Council. The public can enjoy unlimited access to the park at all times and there are eight designated stargazing spots to choose from.<\/p>\n Until May 1969, the area which is now Lauwersmeer National Park was underwater, when the former Lauwers Sea was enclosed and separated from the Wadden Sea<\/strong><\/a>. The area has become an oasis for wildlife<\/strong><\/a> and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds<\/strong><\/a> stop here every year. It\u2019s now also a dark space to take in the night sky in what the IDSA deem Europe\u2019s most light polluted country.<\/p>\n Island stargazing in Denmark<\/p>\n M\u00f8n and Nyord are two islands southeast of Denmark<\/strong><\/a>. You could be sharing your stargazing experience with quite a few others if you head to M\u00f8n, as it\u2019s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Denmark, made famous by its white cliffs. If it\u2019s some time with nature you crave, you would be best heading for the smaller island of Nyord.<\/p>\n Where is the best stargazing in Germany?<\/p>\n Winklmoosalm is a privately-owned space located in the Alps<\/strong><\/a> in southeastern Bavaria<\/a>, and only a stone\u2019s throw away from the Austrian<\/strong><\/a> town of Salzburg.<\/p>\n The Alps are stunning at any time of day or year, but the geographical location of Winklmoosalm means it has particularly dark skies according to the IDPA – all the better for stargazing. The park estimates you can see around 5,000 stars at times – to put that in perspective, only around 500 are visible in the city of Munich<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2025, the Bavarian Forest Nature Park and Bavarian Forest National Park were recognised as an International Dark Sky Reserve after the state worked to reduce light pollution. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so little light there, it really is wonderful, it\u2019s like a Sternenhimmel [starry sky] show more or less,\u201d said Claudia Mitchell, Partner and Network Manager at Bayern Tourismus Marketing. \u201cIt\u2019s really not disrupted by any city lights, and that\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n Can I see the stars in Croatia?<\/p>\n Petrova gora-Biljeg and Vrani Kamen are Croatia\u2019s two main stargazing gems.<\/p>\n The former is known to have the best preserved mountain forests in Croatia<\/strong><\/a> and became a protected area in 1969 and an IDSP in 2019.<\/p>\n