New Zealand

Spectacular natural beauty and New Zealand have always gone hand in hand and the same applies when the sun goes down. It's then that a light show begins, beamed from distant galaxies and supported by the most silent of soundtracks, as it takes place in an area described as being 'one of the quietest places on the planet'.

The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in the centre of the South Island is the world’s largest reserve of its kind (4,367sq km), and the first to be awarded the highest accolade of gold-tier status, due to the pristine skies that are almost completely free of light pollution. In this sparsely populated part of New Zealand there are only three small communities: Lake Tekapo Village (population 300), Twizel (1,100) and Mount Cook Village (250), although these numbers are boosted by visitors eager to enjoy the greatest of outdoors: a natural playground of spectacular glaciers, turquoise lakes and grasslands and cloud-piercing mountains. But another big reason to go is to catch a glimpse of the Southern Cross, the Magellanic Clouds (two dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way) and, of course, our Milky Way itself, not to mention the countless other unforgettable skylights.

What's more, with the stars playing such a big role in Māori culture – star lore and astronomy is part of daily life, as once was the use of stars for navigation – a huge amount of effort has gone into protecting the area from light pollution, with controls dating back to the 1980s.
mackenzienz.com

Namibia

It's well known that one thing Namibia offers is an awful lot of space and, with that, the most beautiful of natural seclusion, so it’s of little surprise that the NamibRand Nature Reserve is known for its stargazing. So much so, that the 200,000ha stretch of Namib Desert was only the second place in the world to pick up the top tier of Dark Sky Reserve protected status. Telescopes to capture the kaleidoscopic skies and, specifically, the Southern Cross and Scorpio constellations, of which it has clear views, are standard in lodges across a land that’s also home to everything from cheetahs and leopards to zebras, giraffes, baboons and 12,400 springbok.
namibrand.com

UK

One of the UK's most remote regions, Northumberland is home to the nation's largest Dark Sky Park, which stretches across the Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water and Forest Park. The observatories at Kielder – rated by CPRE as the best place to see stars in the whole of the UK – and Battlesteads both offer astronomy courses, tours and talks, and winter is the best time to see deep-sky objects in England's darkest skies. Such is the plethora of stars, you can see up to 2,000 at any one time and, with the naked eye, you can also see the Andromeda Galaxy, a cluster of stars similar to our Milky Way but 2.5m light years away.
kielderobservatory.org battlesteads.com

Chile

Forty-two astronomical observatories have been set up across Chile, with the government so proud of its night canvas that it has passed a number of energy- saving measures to stop light pollution. One of the best spots is in the Elqui Valley, in the Atacama desert, which is also home – despite its arid climate – to vines producing some fantastic sauvignon blancs and syrahs. But look up from your glass and you’ll find a night sky so speckled with lights that it was named the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary, to help protect it for future generations. Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa runs astronomy excursions and has its own open-air observatory.
altoatacama.com

Germany

Less than 80km west of Berlin, you leave the bright lights of the city for the thrilling incandescence of Westhavelland Star Park in the lower Havel river valley, near the border of Saxony- Anhalt. The wetlands, one of the largest in western Central Europe, is home to countless migratory birds and myriad wildlife, but the lenses point up at night for spectacular views of the Milky Way and beyond. The protected area of the park covers some 1,380sq km,
and the observatory regularly hosts talks and walks. With plenty of places to stay in and around the park, it’s the ideal mini-break from a city break in Berlin.
sternenpark- westhavelland.de