Pitch your tent somewhere and wild camp: that’s how it is in Zoetermeer

Rules: you cling to them frantically or you try to break them as much as possible. But sometimes we don’t really know what is allowed or not. That’s why we ask ourselves a lot of things, IS THAT ALLOWED? This week: can you wild camp in Zoetermeer?

Are you someone who can sleep anywhere? Or are you an adventurer who likes to camp in the wild? That is of course great fun, but is it actually allowed in our city?

Rules

To find out whether this is allowed, we search the General Local Ordinance Zoetermeer 2022 (APV). Under article 4:18 we find the rules about ‘recreational night accommodation outside the camping area’.

In the APV we read the following: “It is prohibited to place camping equipment or to keep it placed outside a camping site for recreational night accommodation.” So it’s not allowed. But wait, what exactly is camping equipment? According to the APV, it concerns an accommodation or vehicle. In other words, if you’re out in a sleeping bag, you’re not doing anything illegal.

Hey, what a pity! So you can’t just put up your tent or trailer tent anywhere in Zoetermeer. And if you do, you risk a fine of 155 euros (2023). You are welcome at camping De Drie Morgen or set up your tent in your own backyard.