Wild Camping in Czechia: Is It Allowed? (2026)
Pitching a tent is officially not allowed in Czechia, but spending a single night discreetly bivouacking in ordinary forests outside protected areas is widely tolerated — thanks to a strong 'tramping' tradition.
What's allowed
- Spending one night discreetly bivouacking in ordinary forests outside protected areas
- Sleeping under the open sky with a sleeping bag and tarp, without fire and without leaving a trace
- Walking into the forests on foot (permitted under the Forest Act)
- Staying overnight in a mountain hut (bouda) in the mountains
What's not allowed
- Pitching a tent in the forest (officially only at designated spots)
- Bivouacking in national parks and CHKO protected landscape areas
- Open fire within 50 metres of the forest
- Camping in nature reserves or on private land without permission
Czechia has no official ‘right to roam’ like Scandinavia, but it does have a strong culture of ‘tramping’ and sleeping under the open sky (spaní pod širákem). As a result, far more is possible in practice than the letter of the law would suggest.
Bivouac versus tent
Czech practice draws an important distinction:
- Bivouac — sleeping in the open air, without a tent, without fire, for one night, leaving no trace — is widely tolerated in ordinary forests outside protected areas. The Forest Act (zákon o lesích) gives everyone the right to enter forests.
- Pitching a tent is officially not allowed; under the law this is only permitted at designated spots.
- Camping with a fire and a cooking setup is only possible at an official campsite.
The golden rule everyone repeats: a tent is officially not allowed, but a discreet bivouac (sleeping bag, mat, tarp; set up at dusk, gone by dawn, no fire, no litter) is quietly tolerated in normal forests.
National parks and CHKO
In the national parks and the protected CHKO landscape areas, both camping and bivouacking are forbidden. Think of Krkonoše (the Giant Mountains) and Šumava. The České Švýcarsko (Bohemian Switzerland) national park has even had a total ban in place since 2000. Šumava does have a few designated emergency sleeping spots along the main routes. In parks, you stay on the marked trails regardless.
Open fire
Fire is only allowed at designated fire spots or official campsites. Lighting a fire within 50 metres of the forest edge is prohibited. A gas stove is the safe alternative, though even these can be banned during dry spells.
Fines
Unauthorised tenting in the forest can result in a fine of up to roughly 5,000 CZK (± €200). Fire violations run higher, and offences in national parks are actively policed.
With a campervan
There is no specific law about sleeping in your vehicle. Spending the night in a campervan is fine, as long as you respect traffic and parking signs, don’t use forest roads where access is prohibited, and avoid private land. In parks and CHKO areas, however, it is restricted.