Pick of the best dark sites

Seven eastern Europe locations that are renowned for their dark skies

HORTOBÁGY NATIONAL PARK, HUNGARY

A UNESCO World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserve as well as an International Dark Sky Park since 2011, the 82,000 hectare Hortobágy National Park in eastern Hungary has an observatory with a 140mm apochromatic lens telescope. “We organise star walks and observatory programmes for the public,” says István Gyarmathy, Hortobágy’s dark-sky park coordinator.

ZSELIC NATIONAL LANDSCAPE PROTECTION AREA, HUNGARY

Zselic Starry Sky Park in southwest Hungary has been an International Dark Sky Park since 2009. “There are star-watching walks organised by the visitor centre and there have been astronomy camps in the vicinity,” says Zoltán Kolláth, Zselic Starry Sky Park coordinator.

BESKYDY DARK-SKY PARK, CZECH REPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA & POLAND

The region of eastern Czech Republic that borders Slovakia, the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area, is mostly mountains covered in indigenous primeval forests. It’s possible to take part in various stargazing activities in the mountainous setting of Gru , including a ‘relaxation under the stars’ sky tour. There is ski-style accommodation available.

IZERA DARK-SKY PARK, CZECH REPUBLIC & POLAND

Established a decade ago in both the Czech Republic and Poland, the Izera Dark-Sky Park is a project of the Astronomical Institute CAS (Czech Republic) and the Astronomical Institute UWR (Poland). Star parties – including lectures and telescope observations – are held in spring and autumn.

BÜKK NATIONAL PARK, HUNGARY

This vast International Dark Sky Park in the Bükk Mountains of northern Hungary hosts a landscape littered with thousands of caves and hiking trails. “In a couple of years we will open an astronomical visitor centre in our national park, near the village of Répáshuta,” says Richárd Novák at Bükk National Park, who helped set up the Star Park two years ago.

EAST CARPATHIAN DARK-SKY TRIPARK, SLOVAKIA, POLAND & UKRAINE

How about a ‘dark sky corridor’ that covers three different countries? This tripark is one of the largest dark-sky areas in the world. In Poland’s Lutowiska, Brzegi Górne and Stuposiany there are viewing terraces, while the latter’s information centre has scopes and a mini observatory.

PETROVA GORA-BILJEG, CROATIA

Established in June 2019, this dark-sky location in Croatia is home to the iconic Petrova gora-Biljeg, a ruined stainless steel World War II monument which is ideal for nightscape photographers and observers. A star party is held on the plateau beneath the monument at New Moon each year in September.