The best dark-sky places in Europe

Most people in Europe live under a sky that light pollution makes grey. On a clear, moonless night, a truly dark sky shows thousands of stars and the Milky Way.

Most places in this list are certified. DarkSky International names dark-sky parks and reserves. The Starlight Foundation names Starlight Reserves. A certified place controls its lights and measures its sky, to keep it dark.

Each name opens the live sky map at that place. It shows the sky there now.

Britain and Ireland

• Galloway Forest Park, Scotland. A DarkSky park in the hills and forests of the south west.
• Northumberland National Park, England. With Kielder Forest, part of one of the largest dark-sky parks in Europe. Kielder Observatory runs public nights. Check its site first: some events move during its renovation.
• Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales. The park once called the Brecon Beacons is a DarkSky reserve. It is close to Cardiff.
• Wild Nephin National Park, Ireland. The heart of the Mayo Dark Sky Park, near the Atlantic coast.

Central Europe

• Westhavelland Nature Park, Germany. A DarkSky reserve west of Berlin, in flat country with wide views.
• Zselic, Hungary. A DarkSky park, called the Starry Sky Park, in the hills south of Lake Balaton.
• East Carpathian Dark-Sky Tripark, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. 3 parks in one: Bieszczady, Poloniny and Transcarpathia, in remote mountains where the 3 countries meet.

Southern Europe

• Cévennes National Park, France. A DarkSky reserve in the hills of the south, one of the largest in Europe.
• Parc Astronòmic Montsec, Spain. The visitor centre of the Montsec Starlight Reserve, in the Pre-Pyrenees of Catalonia, with telescopes for visitors.

The Canary Islands

The Canaries are Spanish islands off the coast of Africa. Their high mountains are often above the clouds, and big telescopes work there.

• Teide National Park, Tenerife. The park is a plateau at about 2,000 m, often above the clouds. It is a Starlight Tourist Destination, at the heart of a Starlight Reserve.
• Caldera de Taburiente National Park, La Palma. All of La Palma is a Starlight Reserve, and a law protects its sky. The Roque de los Muchachos observatory is on the rim of the caldera.

The far north

• Abisko National Park, Sweden. North of the Arctic Circle. From September to March it is a famous place to see the northern lights. In summer the sky never gets dark.

Before you go

1. Pick a night near the new Moon. A bright Moon hides the faint stars.
2. Check the weather. A dark place does not help under clouds.
3. Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes in the dark, and use a red light.

For places near you, see all stargazing places by country.