Detours | Rhön Star Park  Where Nights Are Still Properly Dark

There’s a place at the very heart of Germany that offers a window into space. Rhön Star Park is one of the darkest places in the country – and the perfect place for stargazing.

There’s no need to travel to far-off deserts or islands to enjoy the beauty of the starry sky. Even at the heart of Germany you’ll find a window into a sparkling universe. On clear moonless nights in the sparsely populated region of the Rhön mountains, the views are stunning: thousands of stars can be seen twinkling in the sky, the Milky Way stretched over them like a shining ribbon, and with a bit of luck you might even be able to identify the distant Andromeda Galaxy. Nights when the moon is shining are particularly magical, as its silvery light lies like a veil over the nighttime landscape of hills and meadows.

Since 2014, the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Rhön, which is situated at the point where the states of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia converge, has officially been an “International Dark Sky Reserve”. This title is awarded to places where municipalities and local communities take particular action to prevent light pollution. The desire to protect the darkness of night is not just for aesthetic reasons, however – many plants and animals in the reserve are nocturnal and sensitive to artificial light. Migratory birds for example lose their orientation in excessively bright conditions. Nighttime illumination is also unhealthy for humans, as it causes our melatonin production to fall and makes us sleep less well. That’s why the towns and villages in the Star Park use targeted lighting such as street lamps that only cast their light where it is really needed – onto the streets and not into the sky.

Visitors wishing to consciously experience the night sky can take advantage of a wide range of activities: those interested in the constellations can join one of the many guided nighttime tours of the Star Park. An astrophotography course teaches participants how to take the best photos of this natural spectacle. But if you’d rather keep warm and cosy inside, why not book yourself into one of the Star Park Houses – could there be anything more romantic than marvelling at the starry sky through the open roof while lying in bed?

October 2025