Camping with a Dog: These Are Germany's 3 Most Dog-Friendly Campsites

Swimming in the lake, treats at reception, off-leash areas, or even a shower just for your four-legged friend: if you camp with a dog, you know these little details can make a huge difference to your trip.

A new analysis of around 500,000 guest reviews now shows which campsites in Germany leave dog owners most satisfied. The top 3 are in Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, and Rhineland-Palatinate. We'll introduce you to them.

How the ranking was put together

The analysis comes from PiNCAMP, the ADAC's camping portal. An AI filtered around 12,500 statements out of the 500,000 reviews that specifically mentioned camping with dogs: how welcoming the site is, space to run around, access to water, dog showers, fees, safety. Each statement was rated as positive, neutral, or negative.

This produced a "Dog Experience Score" from 1 to 5 for each site. It's made up of three parts: concrete guest experiences with dogs (45%), explicit overall ratings on dog-friendliness (45%), and the enthusiasm rate (10%) — the share of reviews that specifically highlight the site as great for dogs.

Only sites that allow dogs and have at least ten dog-related reviews from the period between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2026 were included.

1st place: Campingplatz Erlensee (Bavaria)

The winner is located in Schechen near Rosenheim, around 34 km from Lake Chiemsee. The name says it all: the site sits right on Lake Erlensee, with its own beach. And the best part for dog owners: dogs are allowed to swim in the lake. That's not a given at many swimming lakes, and according to PiNCAMP, it was the main reason this site took first place.

Walking and hiking trails start right around the site, and the Alps are close by. It's family-run, compact (around 2 hectares), and open year-round.

Guests praise the peace and quiet, the clean sanitary facilities, and the spacious pitches. The only criticism in the reviews: the prices, especially for rental accommodations with a dog.

2nd place: Naturpark-Camping Prinzenholz (Schleswig-Holstein)

This site is located in Eutin in Holstein Switzerland, right on Lake Kellersee. The grounds slope down toward the lake, and many pitches have a lake view. There's a sandy beach for campers and, right next to it, a separate dog beach with a boat dock. So your dog can go for a swim while you head out on the SUP.

What guests highlight in their reviews: walking trails starting right at the site, a dog shower, water bowls, and treats as a welcome at reception. With 104 tourist pitches, the site is nicely compact and has a camping café selling organic products in its shop. Open from April to October.

3rd place: Camping Harfenmühle (Rhineland-Palatinate)

Harfenmühle is located in Asbacherhütte in the Hunsrück region, between the Moselle and Nahe rivers on the German Gemstone Route. The family-run site sits in a forested valley, with hiking trails starting right at the campsite. Guests praise the quiet location and friendly staff. Dogs are welcome in the on-site restaurant, which the owners run themselves.

The site has one special feature that makes it particularly appealing for dog owners: fireworks are banned on New Year's Eve. Instead of firecrackers, there's a torchlit walk with mulled wine. If you want to spare your dog the stress of the new year's celebrations, this is one of the few firework-free zones in Germany. The site is open from February to December.

The top 10 at a glance

1. Campingplatz Erlensee (Bavaria)

2. Naturpark-Camping Prinzenholz (Schleswig-Holstein)

3. Camping Harfenmühle (Rhineland-Palatinate)

4. Camping Hümmlinger Land (Lower Saxony)

5. Prümtal-Camping Oberweis (Rhineland-Palatinate)

6. Campingpark LuxOase (Saxony)

7. Campingpark Südheide (Lower Saxony)

8. Family-Resort Kleinenzhof (Baden-Württemberg)

9. Nordseecamping Zum Seehund (Schleswig-Holstein)

10. Stover Strand Camping (Lower Saxony)

Lower Saxony has the most sites in the top 25 with six, followed by Schleswig-Holstein with five and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with four.

What else matters to dog owners

The evaluation also shows where things fall short across Europe. How staff handle dogs on-site gets a 96% positive rating, and nature and walking options score 80%. But when it comes to beach and waterfront access, only 30% of comments are positive, dropping to 28% for dog-friendly restaurants and just 9% for dog fees. Dog showers and poop bag dispensers get almost as much criticism as praise, often because they're missing or poorly maintained.

PiNCAMP managing director Uwe Frers sums it up: for dog owners, what matters is how smoothly their dog fits into the vacation. When small things like enough poop bag stations are missing, they quickly turn into real annoyances.