Rastplatz

rest area, roadside rest stop

noun RAST-plats Rare

Usage Note

Rastplatz is a designated stopping area along a motorway or main road for drivers to rest, usually without a petrol station. A Raststätte additionally has a petrol station and/or restaurant. The distinction matters in German road signs.

Examples

"Wir hielten auf dem Rastplatz an, um eine Pause zu machen und etwas zu essen."

Natural Translation

We stopped at the rest area to take a break and have something to eat.

Literal Translation

We stopped at the rest area to make a break and eat something.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 min read