While the UK has a general rule about keeping noise to a minimum between 11pm and 7am, one major European country has taken this one step further and actually made a law on quiet hours on Sundays and public holidays. In a bid to regulate noise pollution, Germany introduced the Ruhezeit, an agreed-upon period of time during which neighbourhoods across the country are made to follow guidelines and allow residents to enjoy peace and quiet.
Quiet hours in Germany during the week and on Saturdays are typically applied between 10pm and 6am. However, Sundays and public holidays have quiet hours for the entire day. During this time, residents are told to keep music and conversations in their gardens or on balconies to a low volume, while hobbies such as playing the drums or woodworking should be left for other times of the week. While there is no need for locals to restrict themselves to listening to music through headphones, they are warned that any tunes should not be loud enough for neighbours to hear. Noisy housework or DIY during quiet hours must also be avoided.
In Germany, Saturdays are considered working days, so their quiet hours are the same as during the week. However, Germans regard Sunday as a day of rest. As such, German supermarkets are closed, though cafes, restaurants and museums usually stay open.
Some exemptions do apply, however. Anyone wanting to throw a party during quiet periods is advised to give their neighbours a few days’ notice.
Anyone who flouts the quiet rules risks a sanction or warning from their landlord or even having the police called if the noise is too much. Using a lawnmower with a volume of 78 to 96 decibels or loud repair works in apartment buildings after 10pm could see offenders slapped with a fine of up to €5,000 (£4,344).
Germany is not the only European country to have introduced quiet hours, either. In France, the law states that people should make no noise between 10pm and 7am and nothing above “ambient noise” for a prolonged period outside these times.
Meanwhile, earlier this summer, Switzerland expanded its own “quiet time” rules, which run from 10pm to 7am, to specifically target noise from loud vehicle exhausts. Drivers have been warned that they could face £9,000 fines if driving in popular tourist hotspots during these hours.
In most places, noisy activities also apply during the lunchtime break between 12 noon and 1pm, as well as on Sundays and public holidays.
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