THE DEATH OF NIGHT: Astronomers and Environmentalists Fight to Save Dark Skies

To quote:

People living in Germany no longer react with awe when they happen to look up at the sky on a clear night. Nothing twinkles in the heavens anymore, and most Germans are only familiar with the majestic appearance of the Milky Way from trips abroad.

One of the most prominent stars in the night sky at the moment is Aldebaran, a red giant which is the brightest celestial body in the constellation of Taurus. The Andromeda galaxy should also be visible without a telescope. But who notices anymore? City children, who are growing up under a hazy orange night sky, can barely name three celestial bodies anymore: the sun, the moon and possibly Venus, also known as the evening star.

Full article and images here:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,608417,00.html#ref=nlint

Judging from the nighttime satellite image of Europe in the article, one has to head towards the
Arctic Circle to find truly dark skies.