One of the most beautiful corners here in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is definitely the beautiful Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. We can get there by car in just 40 minutes from Rostock and can’t get enough of the beautiful seaside scenery.
In addition to the Vorpommern Boddenlandschaft National Park, you’ll also find charming artists’ and fishing villages, as well as a diverse natural landscape with dunes, beaches, moors, forests, and plenty of tradition. In today’s post, we’d like to take you to Germany’s most beautiful peninsula and introduce you to our favorite places in more detail. Have fun browsing!
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- Usedom Island Highlights
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- Beautiful Island of Hiddensee
- The National Parks in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Our Top Highlights in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Müritz National Park
- These reports might also interest you:
- About Fischland-Darß-Zingst
- Sights on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula
- Getting to Fischland-Darß-Zingst
- Nice accommodations for Fischland
- And in bad weather?
- Travel reading for the peninsula
About Fischland-Darß-Zingst
The 45-kilometer-long Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula is located between our hometown of Rostock and Stralsund. On one side, you’ll find the beautiful Baltic Sea, and on the other, the Darß-Zingst Bodden chain (Bodden = shallow coastal waters).
Due to weather conditions and the movement of the water, the peninsula is in constant change. If no action were taken, some streets or even areas would surely become a thing of the past. But what makes the peninsula so special? Why do more than half a million vacationers flock here every year?
It’s certainly the pristine, beautiful beaches, the charming towns, the culture and traditions, the serenity, and the idyllic nature all around. On the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, you’ll immediately enter relaxation mode and can confidently forget everyday life for a moment.
Sights on the Fischland-Darss-Zingst peninsula
In the following section, we’d like to introduce you to our highlights on the peninsula in more detail. There are certainly more spots, but even we haven’t explored every corner in detail yet. If an important point is missing, please send us a message and we’ll include it.
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1. Baltic Sea resort of Dierhagen
Let’s start right at the beginning with the Baltic Sea resort of Dierhagen. This town is the entrance to the peninsula, so to speak, if you’re coming from Rostock. Just under 1,600 people live in Dierhagen, making themselves comfortable in its approximately 28 km² area.
Despite its small size, Dierhagen consists of six districts, each of which exudes its own unique charm. Visit the pretty village church, the spa gardens, and the charming little harbor. There you’ll also find the Boddenblick restaurant, where you can enjoy a coffee with a great view.
2. Baltic Sea Resort Wustrow
Continue on to the Baltic Sea Resort Wustrow. This town is also located between the Bodden and the Baltic Sea and awaits you with a kilometer-long beach, beautiful dune landscapes, and pretty fishermen’s and captains’ houses. As you drive into the town, you’ll certainly notice the magnificent church, located right at the town entrance. From the tower, you have a fantastic view of Wustrow, the Bodden, and the Baltic Sea. In Wustrow harbor, you can also admire the traditional “Zeesboote” (sea boats) and even take a boat tour.
Around Wustrow, you can enjoy a variety of hikes, explore the network of cycle paths, go sailing or surfing, or take a leisurely stroll along the Bodden or the beach. On the Baltic Sea side, there’s the 230-meter-long pier, from which you also have a fantastic view of the coast. A visit to the Kunstscheune Barnstorf is also recommended. Various art exhibitions take place here, but the eye-catcher for many is certainly the beautifully decorated barn itself. You can end the evening at the Hakuna Matata beach bar and enjoy the sunset.
3. Ahrenshoop Artists’ Village
Now we come to one of our favorite places on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula: The Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop. Many artists used to come to the village to be inspired by the picturesque scenery. It’s no wonder, then, that Ahrenshoop is still considered an artists’ village and boasts several galleries.
In addition to the beautiful beach, the fantastic views of the cliffs, and the small shops, we especially like the many beautiful thatched-roof houses in Ahrenshoop. Just let yourself go in Ahrenshoop and soak up the wonderful atmosphere to the fullest. More about this here: Our best tips for Ahrenshoop.
4. Born am Darß
From Ahrenshoop, we continue to the small village of Born am Darß, which lies between the Saller and Bodstedter Bodden bays. Here, right on the water, you can stroll leisurely through the streets, marvel at the thatched-roof houses, and enjoy the atmosphere.
Pay attention to the beautifully decorated doors and gables of the houses! Small sailing and rowing boats, a few cafés, and a restaurant await you in the harbor. In the Darß forest, you can take a leisurely stroll and fully enjoy the untouched nature.
5. Wiek am Darß
Continue on the L21 to the village of Wiek am Darß. This small and, above all, cozy fishing village is located directly on the Bodstedter Bodden and is worth a short stop. In the harbor, you can admire the traditional Zees boats and even take a tour on one.
In September and October, evening trips are even offered, where you can watch the cranes flying (more information here). It’s only 5.3 km to the stunningly beautiful north beach in Prerow, and just 10 km to the west beach (near Ahrenshoop or on foot).
6. Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park
When we’re on the Flanders-Darß-Zingst peninsula, we like to make a detour to the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park. Believe us, you’ll love it there! On a 4- to 5-hour hike, you can walk from Prerow to the Darß Lighthouse and fully enjoy the diverse natural landscapes.
First, you’ll walk through the forest, then across moors, meadows, and dunes to the sea. If you’re there at the right time, you might even spot impressive deer or observe the many thousands of cranes. Everything about it here: Hike through the National Park.
7. Prerow & Beach
One of the most beautiful beaches on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula can be found in Prerow. The town is particularly popular with vacationers due to its extensive infrastructure, including restaurants, shops, cafés, supermarkets, pharmacies, and a campsite.
Our highlight isn’t so much the town itself, but rather the wide, fine sandy beach. An article in Die Welt even named the beach the most beautiful beach in Germany. And if you need a break from the beach, you can take a hike through the national park, visit the Darß Museum, the pier, the Seamen’s Church, or the Darß Lighthouse.
8. Zingst Baltic Sea Health Resort
Just a few kilometers from Prerow lies the Zingst Baltic Sea Health Resort. The first bathers were welcomed here as early as 1881, so this place knows a thing or two about tourism. In Zingst, you’ll find many guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, cafés, vacation apartments, and holiday homes.
It’s no wonder, then, that thousands of visitors arrive every year. Stroll leisurely along the most popular shopping mile (Strandstraße), walk across the 270-meter-long pier, explore the pretty St. Peter and Paul Church, cycle along the dike, or sunbathe on Zingst’s beautiful sandy beach. More about this here: Our top sights in Zingst.
9. Pramort & Cranes
At the far east of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula is Pramort, the place that was still inhabited until 1960. Today, Pramort is part of the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park and is a popular destination for those who want to observe the approximately 60,000 – 70,000 cranes that rest here between September and November (and in March).
You can best see them at dusk, when they fly back to their resting places. From September 1st to the beginning of November, the entire area is closed to visitors daily between 3 p.m. and 8 a.m. to avoid disturbing the cranes.
Exception: Tours are usually offered between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., but only for a limited number of visitors. You will need the National Park Card “Observe – without disturbing,” which is issued at the checkpoint. You will then have a good view from the observation tower in Pramer Ort and from the 12-meter-high dune.
This dune is part of the largest unforested dune landscape on the German Baltic coast. Here you can find more viewpoints: Where can I see the cranes? Check out our report on our bike tour to Pramort and the Hohe Düne.
10. Barth & Harbor
Now we come to the last highlight of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. Okay, strictly speaking, this highlight doesn’t belong to the peninsula at all, but it’s still worth a detour. The small harbor town of Barth is located at the southern end of the Barther Bodden and awaits you with plenty of charm.
From the market square, you can start a short tour of the town. Visit the cozy maritime harbor, look for the historic town houses in the old town, or rent a bike and take a tour of the surrounding area (you can find tour ideas here). You can also charter boats and yachts in the harbor to take a tour across the Bodden.
Getting to Fischland-Darß-Zingst
By car: As always, you have several options for reaching your destination. If you’re coming by car from Hamburg, take the A20 to Rostock-Ost. From there, take the B105 to Ribnitz-Damgarten or Löbnitz, depending on where you want to go. If you’re coming from Berlin, take the A19 and drive to Rostock-Ost. From Hamburg, for example, it’s around 2.5 hours to Ahrenshoop, and just over 3 hours from Berlin.
By train: Would you prefer a more relaxed journey by train? You can easily reach the peninsula via Stralsund and Barth, as well as Rostock and Ribnitz-Damgarten, with Deutsche Bahn* trains. From Bart and Ribnitz-Damgarten, bus 210 continues across the Baltic Sea peninsula. Timetables are available here: www.vvr-bus.de.
By bus: During the season from May to October, Flixbus buses take you directly from Berlin to Zingst. The journey takes just under 3.5 hours. The bus stops in Dierhagen, Wustrow, Ahrenshoop, and Prerow, among others. Alternatively, you can travel to Rostock and Stralsund from other German cities. Book your ticket here from just €9.99*.
Beautiful accommodations for Fischland
On the peninsula, you’ll find countless hotels, guesthouses, vacation apartments, holiday homes, and private rooms. We’ve selected a few very nice accommodations that we would also book ourselves. Enjoy browsing!
Book a room here*
In Ahrenshoop, you’ll find the 5-star Hotel The Grand Ahrenshoop with beautiful rooms and suites. A spacious wellness area with saunas and a pool, as well as restaurants, a bar, and a café, awaits you. Some rooms even offer sea views!
4.5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor
Book an apartment here*
These beautiful vacation apartments are located in the Baltic Sea resort of Dierhagen and await you with an indoor pool, wellness center, spa area, restaurant, and private parking. The vacation apartments and holiday homes have everything you need for a relaxing vacation. Some apartments even offer sea views!
8.8 out of 10 on Booking.com
Book an apartment here*
The Aparthotel Zwei Wasser – Seefahrtschule in Wustrow awaits you with fantastic apartments, which are very modern and furnished to a high standard. Whether kitchen, living area, sleeping area, private parking, bathroom, or terrace – nothing is missing here.
8.0 out of 10 on Booking.com
Book a cabin here*
In Bodstedt, cozy log cabins surrounded by nature await you. Here in the Pomeranian forest landscape, you can truly unwind. The cabins are equipped with a kitchen, fireplace, living and sleeping areas, bathrooms, and terraces. You can find smaller and larger cabins here.
5 out of 5 points at Fewo-direkt.de
Book apartment here*
The beautiful and modern holiday apartment “Strandhaus Lindenstraße” is located in the heart of the Baltic Sea spa town of Zingst. The beach is just 2.5 kilometers away. Look forward to a garden, barbecue facilities, a terrace, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and more. Perfect for a larger group or family. The apartment is very bright and modernly furnished.
9.3 out of 10 points at Booking.com
And in bad weather?
Of course, there’s never a guarantee of good weather, but even in bad weather, there’s plenty to experience and do on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. We have noted a few highlights for you and hope that you will find something suitable for you:
- Zingst Diving Gondola
- Experimentarium in Zingst
- Ostseeschmuck Foam Factory
- Ahrenshoop Art Museum
- Amber Museum
- Marlow Bird Park
- Bodden Thermal Baths
- Günz Crane Museum
- Karl’s Strawberry Farm in Rövershagen
- Barnstorf Art Barn
- Vineta Museum in Barth
- Fishland Island Horse Farm
- Pütnitz Technology Museum
- Honey Thief Farm Shop in Klockenhagen
- Icelandic Horse Farm in Klockenhagen
- Gross Crane Information Center Mohrdorf
Travel reading for the peninsula
Are you still looking for travel reading for the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula? DuMont Verlag has published a crisp 120-page travel guide. It tells you everything you need to know about the peninsula’s highlights (order here*). There’s also a 144-page travel guide from Reise Know-How Verlag*. WDR Reisen also has a great documentary on YouTube: The Darß – Germany’s Beautiful Peninsula.