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Travel photo of Germany

National parks · 16 parks

Flag of GermanyNational Parks in Germany

Germany has 16 national parks covering about 7,452 km² in total. The largest is Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (4,415 km²); the oldest, Bavarian Forest National Park, dates from 1970.

Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park4,415 km² · since 1985 Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park786 km² · since 1990 Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park346 km² · since 1986 Müritz National Park Müritz National Park318 km² · since 1994 Harz National Park Harz National Park247 km² · since 2006 Bavarian Forest National Park Bavarian Forest National Park242 km² · since 1970 Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden National Park208 km² · since 1978 Lower Oder Valley National Park Lower Oder Valley National Park165 km² · since 1995 Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park138 km² · since 1990 Eifel National Park Eifel National Park108 km² · since 2004 Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park102 km² · since 2015 Black Forest National Park Black Forest National Park101 km² · since 2014 Saxon Switzerland National Park Saxon Switzerland National Park94 km² · since 1990 Kellerwald-Edersee National Park Kellerwald-Edersee National Park77 km² · since 2004 Hainich National Park Hainich National Park75 km² · since 1997 Jasmund National Park Jasmund National Park31 km² · since 1990

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in Germany at a glance

Germany has 16 national parks covering about 7,452 km² — roughly 2.1% of the country's 357,022 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 74% of that area.

Largest national parks

  1. Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park — 4,415 km², since 1985
  2. Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park — 786 km², since 1990
  3. Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park — 346 km², since 1986
  4. Müritz National Park — 318 km², since 1994
  5. Harz National Park — 247 km², since 2006

Oldest national parks

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Germany, the Germany travel guide and airports in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in Germany?

Germany has 16 national parks covering about 7,452 km² in total. The largest is Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (4,415 km²); the oldest, Bavarian Forest National Park, dates from 1970.

What are the largest national parks in Germany?

Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (4,415 km²), Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park (786 km²), Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park (346 km²), Müritz National Park (318 km²) and Harz National Park (247 km²).

How much of Germany is national park?

About 2.1% of the country — 7,452 km² of national parks out of 357,022 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in Germany?

Bavarian Forest National Park, established in 1970, followed by Berchtesgaden National Park (1978), Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (1985) and Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park (1986).