Description
NaturFreunde Deutschlands is a non-profit association for outdoor leisure with more than 65,000 members in over 500 local groups, which runs more than 350 Naturfreundehäuser (simple guesthouses in the countryside) and organises hiking, canoeing, mountain sports and snow sports.
The movement was founded in Vienna in 1895 by Austrian socialists, with a first joint hike on 14 April 1895, and the first German groups followed in 1905. Today there are about 700 Naturfreunde houses worldwide and more than 350,000 members in the international movement. The German federation is a registered association recognised as non-profit. Its houses are run by local groups and are open to members and non-members alike, with discounts for members.
Membership costs €56 a year for adults or single parents with children, €84 for families and €28 for young people up to 27 whose parents aren’t members; these are the reduced rates for the first two years. Members get the magazine NATURFREUNDiN four times a year, liability and accident insurance and discounts on overnight stays. Local groups organise walks, canoe trips, climbing and skiing led by volunteers.
Strengths
- More than 350 Naturfreunde houses offer simple, affordable stays in the countryside, open to everyone.
- Activities are organised by volunteers in local groups, at the cost of a modest yearly fee.
- It is a non-profit association whose roots go back to 1895, not a business selling trips.
Weaknesses
- The fees shown are trial rates for two years; the regular fee isn’t stated on the page read.
- Overnight prices for the houses aren’t on the pages read, only in the house search.
- How active a local group is varies a lot, so the offer depends on where people live.
Who it is for
Families, hikers and paddlers in Germany who want affordable outings and holidays in nature with a local group, rather than paying a tour operator or a gym.
Sources
- NaturFreunde Deutschlands: home, about us, history, become a member, Naturfreundehäuser (checked November 2026)