Countries: Germany
Barbecue-Friendly Roof Tent Campsites in Germany
Where you can barbecue at a German roof tent campsite, with the difference between a barbecue and an open fire clearly separated.
There is a real difference between a raised barbecue and an open fire, and it is a difference that changes what you are allowed to do at a German campsite. We record the two separately: a barbecue is a raised, contained grill, while an open fire means a fire on or near the ground. A site can allow one and restrict the other, so this guide keeps the two apart and only lists a site as barbecue-friendly when its barbecue status is recorded as allowed.
Be honest about the size of this list. Right now the atlas holds three German campsites with a confirmed allowed barbecue status: Bruchmühlen in Lower Saxony, Campingplatz Hof-Dahlhoff in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Team Waxbrunnen in the Eifel. The rest of our German spots simply have not had their barbecue policy confirmed yet, so they are recorded as unknown rather than assumed safe. We would rather show you three places we can stand behind than pad the list with guesses.
Barbecue versus open fire
At Bruchmühlen both the barbecue and the open fire are recorded as allowed. At Team Waxbrunnen the barbecue is allowed but the open fire is conditional, with the operator’s note that fires, barbecues and fire bowls are prohibited in dry, windy or hot conditions and that barbecues must be raised and supervised. That single example is the reason we separate the two fields: a site that happily accepts your grill may still say no to a ground fire, especially in a dry summer. The two other sites are marked barbecue allowed but their open-fire status is not yet confirmed.
Dry-weather rules
Germany’s fire rules tighten when the forest and field fire risk rises, and several federal states impose temporary bans on open fires and even charcoal grills during heatwaves. These bans come from official sources and can change day to day, so a stored allowed status is not a guarantee for every date. Check the local fire-danger level for the district you are visiting and follow the operator’s instructions on the day. When in doubt, cook on the site’s designated facilities or on your own raised grill well away from dry grass.
Planning a cooking-friendly trip
Because the confirmed list is short, treat barbecue access as one factor rather than the whole reason to pick a site. All three are also recorded as roof-tent friendly with vehicle parking at the pitch, so they work as ordinary stops on a larger route. Read our campfires, barbecues and cooking guide for the wider picture, and check the Germany map before you commit to a route.
What counts as a barbecue
For the purposes of this guide, a barbecue is a raised, self-contained grill with legs, such as a portable charcoal or gas grill used on a fireproof surface. A fire bowl, a campfire ring or any flame on the ground is an open fire and is treated separately. If your setup is somewhere in between, ask the operator how it is classified before you light it; a site that allows a raised grill may still treat a low fire bowl as an open fire and refuse it.
Gas versus charcoal
Some sites that are relaxed about a gas grill are stricter about charcoal, because charcoal produces sparks and needs safe disposal of the ash. Where the site’s rules do not specify, assume the stricter standard applies and ask. Never tip hot ash into a bin or onto grass, and never leave a lit grill unattended, even briefly.
Cooking without a grill
If a site’s barbecue status is unknown or restricted, you can still cook in most cases. Many German campsites provide a communal kitchen, a kiosk or a restaurant, and a roof tent setup with a small gas stove on a stable table is usually treated as ordinary camp cooking rather than a barbecue. Check the site’s rules on any flame, and keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher close to your cooking area regardless.
Campsites where barbecues are recorded as allowed
Before you light anything
Confirm the current fire rules with the operator and the local authority, keep your grill raised and supervised, and never leave it unattended. If you know a German campsite with clear barbecue rules that should be in the atlas, you can submit it for verification.